Ann Folb

We regret to announce the passing of Rabbi Ann Blitzstein Folb. She died at age 77 on Friday, August 19th in Arlington Virginia. Ann passed peacefully due to heart and kidney failure. Ann was born on January 24th, 1945 in Chicago Illinois to her parents Leland and Ellinore Blitzstein. She was raised there with her sister Marilyn. In 1963, Ann enrolled in the joint undergraduate program that the Hebrew Union College had with the University of Cincinnati. She was not deterred by the letter from the university that said, “Women were welcome to study at the Hebrew Union College but so far none had completed the course and they did not know what the future for women in the rabbinate would be. So far they had chosen careers in Jewish education.” While at college, she met another rabbinical student, Howard Folb who she married on January 2, 1966 in Chicago, Illinois. Ann decided that two rabbis in one family would be difficult and she pursued a master’s degree in social work. When her husband Howard died in 1998, she decided to continue her pursuit to become a rabbi. She returned to Hebrew Union College and was ordained in 2007. She served as a Rabbi at a Progressive congregation in Pretoria, South Africa. She later moved to Arlington, Virginia to be close to her son Joshua Isaac Folb, his wife Belinda Folb, and her grandson Michael Folb. She was an active part of the teaching faculty at Beth El Congregation in Alexandria Virginia. Rabbi Ann Folb is survived by her daughter Leah Folb Marcel and her son Joshua Folb, her son-in-law Dimitri Marcel and her daughter-in-law Belinda Folb, her granddaughter Kira Marcel and her grandson Michael Folb. Ann was predeceased by her sister Mariylyn Hronatko and her husband Rabbi Howard Folb. Services will be held at Beth El Hebrew in Alexandria on Wednesday, August 24th at 10:30am. The service will be streamed at https://www.facebook.com/BethElHebrew/. In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to Shapiro RS Scholarship Fund at https://www.bethelhebrew.org/payment.php. The family will be accepting condolences at Josh and Belinda’s home Wednesday August 24 and Thursday August 25th at 6:30pm. The Minyan will start at 7pm and conclude at 8pm.

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Ann Folb

January 24, 1945 - August 19, 2022