Esther (Franks) Birnbaum

Esther F. Birnbaum of Scranton died Tuesday at the Green Hill Assisted Living Facility in West Orange, N.J. She was the widow of Earl J. Birnbaum.

Born in Port Hope, Ontario, Canada, the younger daughter of Ezra and Libby Franks, she was a graduate of Scranton Central High School and Marywood College.

She helped educate generations of children as a teacher and, later, director of the nursery school of the Jewish Community Center of Scranton. She was also the longtime director of the JCC's summer day camp. Her uncle was Dr. Henry Guterman, who was for 57 years the chief orthodox rabbi of Scranton.

Surviving are her two sons, Jeffrey Birnbaum, of Bethesda, Md.; and Scott Birnbaum, of Livingston, N.J.; and five grandchildren, Michael, Julia, Eric, Steven and Emily Birnbaum.

She was also preceded in death by a brother-in-law, Harold Birnbaum.

The funeral will be today from the Carlucci-Golden-DeSantis Funeral Home Inc., 318 E. Drinker St., Dunmore, with a service at 1 p.m. by Rabbi Clifford Kulwin of New Jersey. Interment, Dalton Jewish Cemetery, Dalton.

Shiva will be observed at the Scranton Jewish Community Center, 601 Jefferson Ave. Scranton, from 4 to 7:30 p.m.

Memorial contributions can be made to the Earl J. Birnbaum Fund, c/o the Jewish Community Center, 601 Jefferson Ave., Scranton, PA 18510; or to the donor's favorite charity.

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