This memory is long overdue. I thought I had written one until I got a notification today and wanted to write our sincere condolences. Even though time had passed and Katja hadn't seen Sarah or been in touch since 2016, she holds Sarah in her memories and always will as will I. Sarah was a spark and a funny girl when we met her at Stevens. Katja wanted to be her friend so bad. I'm happy they got there. We will always hold you three and Sarah in our thoughts. I'm adding a picture of Katja and Sarah at Katja's 8th birthday party for a fun memory of their friendship. 

Barbara and Katja

Dear Jill and Family, 
I was so sad to hear of Sarah's tragic and untimely death. I remember Jill's volunteering for the AHA in NYC. There are no words that could possibly assuage your grief. May her memory be a blessing.

Judy Campisi

Dear Penn Community,
With heavy hearts, we write to share that Sarah Katz ’24, a student in the College of Arts and Sciences, passed away on Saturday, September 10, 2022, at Penn Presbyterian Medical Center. Sarah was pursuing majors in International Relations and Health and Societies and a minor in East Asian Language and Civilization.
 
Sarah was a native of Jersey City, New Jersey, and graduated from Elisabeth Irwin High School in New York City. Before enrolling at Penn, Sarah completed a gap year with NSLI-Y at the University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, where she was granted a full merit scholarship to learn Mandarin.
 
Sarah’s passion and commitment to community health extended beyond the classroom. Since 2011, she served as Red Cap Ambassador with the American Heart Association, teaching CPR in high schools and underserved communities. During her first year at Penn, Sarah worked as a research assistant at the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, where she introduced a bill to Pennsylvania state legislators advocating that all Pennsylvania schools become certified “heart safe” spaces. She returned to campus this semester eager to begin working for the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention as a health communications intern.
 
She was deeply involved at Penn, serving as a leader in the Penn John Marshall Pre-Law Honor Society, a membership coordinator for the Student Committee on Undergraduate Education, the social chair of Sigma Kappa sorority, and an active member in Penn Hillel.
 
Sarah’s family issued the following statement regarding their daughter’s passing: “We are devastated by this tragic passing of our beloved Sarah. She loved the University of Pennsylvania so much and was so happy and thriving. Sarah was fully engaged in so many aspects of campus life, academics, clubs, socially, and through internships. Words cannot express how much of a loss we are feeling. We so appreciate everything.” 


Dear Katz Family,

I had so many incredible moments with Sarah in Chengdu and Taiwan. She was so caring and goofy and talented. I’ll always remember our times staying up late watching Law and Order in Yunnan, getting shaved ice desserts and sushi together in Taipei, and all those dorm room heart-to-hearts at the Chengdu boarding school. Each member of the Chengdu crew is so so lucky and blessed to have spent time with Sarah.

Ciara

Dear Katz family, I was incredibly saddened to receive the news of Sarah’s passing. Sarah had just started an internship with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. My team and I thought she was an exceptional candidate. After talking with her, I was so impressed with all her achievements and aspirations for her career and life. She also radiated such excitement and inner beauty.  We were very much looking forward to getting to know Sarah more and working with her. Sarah’s memory will live on in all the people she touched, even if for a very short time. I am grateful to have met her. My condolences to you and the very best wishes during this time. Sincerely, Jeanette St. Pierre 

Dear Katz Family…
We are so sorry for your loss. Our son, Carson went to China with Sarah as well as came to New York to visit her and their NSLYI  friends last summer.  He spoke so highly of Sarah and so appreciated her friendship. So thankful for the time they shared together. Please know your family is in our thoughts and prayers. 

Stewart and Leslie Collins

Dear Mr. and Mrs. Katz and family- although I never met your sweet daughter, I heard of her often as my son Jared spent the year with her in China.  He spoke of her often, described her always in glowing and admiring terms, and even showed me “about” where your house was while we were on a cruise around Lady Liberty in NYC  last year.   I know there are no words to assuage what you’re doubtlessly feeling.  But I wanted you to know that Sarah had an impact on our family even though we never met her.  I’m sorry with you.  Profoundly sorry. May peace find you and hold you.  

I was one of Sarah’s group leaders when she traveled to India in 2018 with the Experiment Leadership Institute. One of my favorite and funniest memories of  that summer came from her:

While riding the Delhi metro with the group one day, a student asked my co-leader and me if we would return to lead another group next year. My job doesn’t revolve around the academic calendar so two months off during the summer isn’t typical.
“Honestly?” I said, “probably not.”
“Yeah,” said Sarah, nodding her head gravely. “I bet this kind of job is really hard to do when you’re middle-aged.”
I was 28.

Of all the students in our group, I think Sarah taught me the most about myself. We butted heads all summer, pushing each other’s limits. She was fiercely independent and questioned me constantly. We had multiple long conversations wherein I tried to convince her that I was trying to do what was best for her, and invariably they ended with me being humbled, realizing that I could do a better job of showing how much I cared about her.  I'm so grateful to and for her, and for the chance I had to share an intense six weeks of her remarkable life.

May her memory be a blessing to everyone who knew her, as it is to me.

To the Katz Family  

I am so very sorry for your loss.

I was Sarah's Mandarin tutor, and we spent a wonderful year together. We prepared OPI exam together, and while we were preparing for the exam. She had to practice talking about her dream, high school life, and lovely family.

That is how I know she worked in a law firm since high school and was the leader of the Jewish community in high school. 

I still remember how she told me she would like to be a lawyer for immigrants with her language skills. 

I found her 3 audio recordings for preparing OPI exam,
you can hear how she spoke Mandarin,
 and if you need I can do the translation for you.

We all love her, very very much.

yuchinmei@mac.com
Whatsapp +886 975397701

Regards,

May

We believe that the soul leaves the body but stays very close until the body is interred in its final resting place when it ascends to be judged at a later time . It could be comforting to know that the soul was at the service , saw all the many friends and family who attended, and heard all the honest, fine things which Sarah Nicole accomplished in her short journey in this lifetime before moving on to the next world. We are not capable or  comprehending the reason Hashem has taken her so young, but remembering things about the departed keep them immortal.

To the Katz Family - 
I am so very sorry for your tragic loss. From the outpouring of love and support, it is clear that Sarah was a wonderful human being. She truly left a very positive and indelible mark on this world and had a greater impact in her short life than most do over several more decades. It's been said that G-d takes the best first. That certainly seems to apply here. May Sarah rest in peace and you live with the knowledge that you did a remarkable job as parents and a sibling.

Aleha Hasholom
Yehi Zichra Baruch

Beverly Sporn, a Penn Parent

So sad to hear of Sarah’s passing but so happy I was able to know her the past two years in various ways at Penn. I remember running against and losing to Sarah virtually in a club election our first semester, and meeting her in person and becoming friends the next semester. Our sophomore year I enjoyed discussing the impact of evolutionary theory with her in a class we shared together. In particular, I remember discussing how criminals were viewed under barbaric eugenics policies of the early 20th century. She was an incredibly thoughtful person, and I will always remember her. My condolences to the family. 

I studied in Chengdu, China, with Sarah from 2019-2020. Sarah was extraordinarily kindhearted, had a hilarious sense of humor, and was able to make any room light up with her contagious smile. But most of all, Sarah was deeply passionate about and devoted to the people and things she loved. She treated her friends like her family and knew no stranger. She was eager and excited to share her faith with those unfamiliar. She often talked about how proud she was of her sister Dana, and always wanted us to talk to her parents over FaceTime and update them on our studies. She was intellectually curious and saw each day in class as a challenge. And more than anything, she had an adventurous spirit and loved trying new restaurants, tea shops, and sights in the cities we spent time in. I will forever treasure the photos, messages, and memories my cohort and I shared with Sarah. Sending my love to the Katz family during this time. May her memory be eternal.

I didn’t know Sarah but was deeply saddened by her sudden passing.  My daughter is a sophomore in Sarah’s sorority and spoke of her kindness and friendliness. So terribly sorry for your unimaginable loss. May her memory be a blessing.

Our hearts are broken for your loss. I will forever cherish the pictures and memories our children had together, especially the most recent ones in Israel this past summer. Our deepest condolences to the entire Katz family. Sarah achieved so much, but her life was too short. We will be with you in any way we can as you navigate the future ahead. 
Lots of love
Harold,  Ariela and Talia

Sending your family my deepest condolences. May Sarah's memory be a blessing. I worked with Sarah during her research internship at CHOP last summer and she was full of passion, spunk, and determination. It was an honor to mentor her and through the summer and the following semesters at Penn. She has made a huge impact on her community and everyone who has met her.

We are so sorry for your loss. 

Wishing you a long life.

Michael and Michelle Meyer

     We are Sarah's host family in china.Hearing the tragedy happened to dear sarah,we immersed in deep sadness. 
     Sarah spent half a year enjoying the beautiful life with our family ,bringing us endless happiness.To us,she's not just a friend,but a real family member,forever.After she left china,we always miss her and wonder if she can come to our home again.Unfortunately,she left now.But she will always be our zixi living in our heart.
      With our deepest condolences.--Wang Yifei,Wang Zirui,Wang Jiandong,Zhu Yuqiao

No amount of words can describe what you are going through.
My thoughts and prayers are with you .

Amit Aggarwal 

Words can't adequately express my deepest thoughts of sympathy. Please know that my thoughts and prayers are with you and your Family at this time. 

Regards,
Liz Roland

Wishing you Michael, Jill and Dana long life and sincere condolences on the tragic passing of darling Sarah. Baruch Dayan Ha’Emet. Our thoughts and prayers are with you. All our love, Tamara and Adam Tolley, Sorrel and Jack Kerbel, Judy and David Rubinsztein and David and Debbie Kerbel. 

I was one of the nine Americans that studied in China with Sarah. The ten of us spent so much time together, struggling through a foreign language, adjusting to new schedules and living situations, and trying new things. Sarah was my first friend there--she reached out before the trip even began, and we quickly connected. We understood each other in a special way, as the only Jewish students on the program. She saw my homesickness during the holiday season, and she reached out to my family and friends, making a video of their messages for me as a surprise gift. I still think about this act of kindness three years later-- it may be one of the most thoughtful things anyone has done for me. My deepest condolences to Sarah's family, she left too soon.

I didn’t know Sarah. But my kids, Meredith, Sam and Ethan did. They speak of how she was always “a helper,” she “didn’t have a mean bone in her body,” and was simply “the sweetest girl.” My heart breaks for Sarah’s family, her friends and the USY community which she loved and served.  May her beautiful memory be for a blessing to all who knew and will miss her.  My deepest condolences, and my prayers will be with you. 
-Shari Weinerman

OBITUARY

Sarah Nicole Katz

April 10, 2001 – September 10, 2022

Gutterman and Musicant Jewish Funeral Directors

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