Israel "Zuni" Zelitch

Israel "Zuni" Zelitch, whose 1971 treatise on plant biochemistry, physiology and genetics became required reading for graduate students, died March 23 in Haverhill, MA after contracting COVID. He was 98.

He retired in 1994 after 41 years as head of biochemistry and genetics at the Connecticut Agricultural Experiment Station, New Haven. He continued unpaid and at age 85 wrote an important paper cited in over 100 other papers.

Born in the Jewish section of Winfield, Philadelphia, June 18, 1924, he was the son of Judah and Helen Sherman Zelitch. Yiddish was his only language before attending kindergarten. His lifelong nickname, “Zuni”, translates to "Sonny." Yiddish continued to be important throughout his life, culminating as chair of the board of the League for Yiddish. Until his death, he read two Yiddish publications, one of which once printed his father's columns. Until recently, he attended weekly Yiddish literature and discussion groups on Zoom.

His passion for Yiddish culture was inherited from his father, an immigrant from Belarus who entered America and became a prominent lawyer and a leader in the American Yiddish-speaking world. When Judah died, he established a substantial fund to finance Yiddish awareness. Through the League for Yiddish, Judah’s children Zuni and Fay Zelitch Hocky helped establish the first college-level Yiddish courses. These courses are now popular and widespread.

Professionally, he received his doctorate in biochemistry from the University of Wisconsin. Following post-doctoral work with Nobel laureate Severo Ochoa, his career led to book publications, speaking engagements all over the world, and a Guggenheim Fellowship to Oxford University.

His science studies also led to a love of gardening. With his wife of 72 years Ruth Goldman Zelitch, who died in 2019, he maintained a large vegetable garden in their summer home on Block Island, RI. Once dubbed the “lettuce king of Block Island” by the local paper, he was at one time the largest producer at the Sunday farmer's market, where he gave grandchildren their first summer jobs greeting customers and making change.

He was a longtime member of Temple Mishkan Israel in Hamden, CT, before moving to North Andover, MA, to be near his son.

In addition to his Guggenheim Fellowship, other honors included induction into the Academy of Arts and Sciences and president of American Society of Plant Physiologists.

He leaves daughter Helen Fleisher, Oak Park, IL, married to Michael Fleisher; son Bernie Zelitch, North Andover, married to Karen Rovner; son-in-law Gary Gilman, Philadelphia; grandchildren Jonah Fleisher, Oak Park; Ari Fleisher, Waltham, MA; Rosie LaRocque, Sandown, NH; Sarah Gilman and Jonathan Gilman, Philadelphia; Rebecca Zelitch, Herzliya, Israel; Sam Zelitch, Brooklyn; and six great-grandchildren. In addition to wife Ruth, he was predeceased by a daughter, Deborah Zelitch.

Donations in his name can be made to League for Yiddish, Inc., 64 Fulton Street, Suite 1101, New York, NY 10038, https://leagueforyiddish.org/ or Block Island Medical Center, PO Box 919, Block Island, RI 02807, https://bihealthservices.com/

Graveside funeral service, with livestream viewing available using the following link: www.tinyurl.com/IsraelZelitch, is on Sunday, March 26 at 10:30 a.m.