Janice (Rabinovitz) Yoo

Janice Rabinovitz Yoo dedicated her life to making the world a better place. An active and passionate arts educator, she believed creativity was key to promoting social change. Janice passed away on September 13th, 2023 at the age of 83 after her battle with pancreatic cancer.

Born in Boston on May 21, 1940, Janice graduated from Yeshiva in 1954 and Brookline High School in 1958. She went on to receive a Bachelor of Arts in Child Development from the University of California, Berkeley in 1962, and then studied theater at Trinity University in San Antonio, Texas.

In 1967 she married Duk Hyung Yoo (Tuvia) who converted to Judaism at that time. Subsequently they moved to Seoul, South Korea where she became an arts educator and administrator for the U.S. government and Department of Defense. During her more than 25 year tenure at the Yongsan Army Education Center, she worked tirelessly receiving multiple awards including: The Commanders’ Award for Civilian Service, and the Tilton Davis Jr. Military Education of the Year Award. Her living in Korea with her husband and children for over 30 years impacted and shaped her world view. Throughout her adult life, she was strongly connected to the Seoul Institute of the Arts and La MaMa, two arts organizations that she advised and supported for decades.

Janice or “JaJa” as she was affectionately called by her granddaughter was a fighter, she was full of grit and never gave up, believing there was always a way to move forward and to get things done. She loved art, education, politics, and creativity and was utterly devoted to her family. Very focused on current events, what was happening in the world, and always politically active, she was deeply invested in the next generation and how education could play a role in shaping our shared future.

The daughter of Leo and Ethel (Dollman) Rabinovitz, Janice was proud of her Ukrainian and Jewish roots. Her siblings Barbara and Kenneth have passed. She is survived by her brother Gerald Rabinovitz, his wife Jane and their children's families Daniel and Suzanne Rabinovitz, Jennifer and David Kuhns, Shara and Michael Reiter, Five great nephews, and one great niece. Her nephew ByungKoo Ahn and niece Eun Young Ahn and her husband Jaehee Cho, and their mother In Hyung Yoo. As well as her children Tay and Mia Yoo, their father Duk Hyung Yoo, Mia’s husband, William A. Clark III, and her granddaughter Yuna Ella Clark.

She taught those around her to love with their whole heart. She loved immensely and is loved immensely. Her resilience and motivating force is an inspiration, and her singular legacy will live on in her descendants.

In lieu of flowers, remembrances may be made to the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum, tinyurl.com/ushmm-donate