Judith Beltz

Judy never missed an opportunity to help others, driving elderly neighbors to doctor appointments, picking up food from the food pantry to distribute, bringing food to the ill, and more.

She believed in fighting for justice, from marching for the ERA while pushing her kids in strollers to demonstrating in front of embassies in her 80’s. She worked hard during election years making calls for candidates, canvassing and attending events.

She was generous with her time and help for numerous charities, including Special Olympics and the Jewish Folk Arts Festival. She belonged to numerous synagogues – including Adas Israel, Am Kolel and Fabrangen – and was devoted to them all, and was also involved with MOSh: Minyan Oneg Shabbat and Shirat HaNefesh. She loved going to services, socializing and learning from everyone.

Her deep commitment to and passion for Jewish learning began when she decided to study Hebrew. Her teacher at Adas Israel suggested she have a bat mitzvah, which she celebrated in her fifties. Her studies included more than a decade of learning with the Mussar Institute where she became a study group leader; she considered its founder, Alan Morinis, her mentor.

An extravert, Judy loved parties and dancing, frequently entering dance contests -- which she won so often they finally made her a judge.

She was committed to healthy eating and in her forties became very active in OverEaters Anonymous (OA), using all their tools. It was a natural fit for Judy to give service in OA, and she led groups, attended conferences and sponsored other people as they worked their program, continuing almost to the end of her life.

Judy was born in Brooklyn, New York City on Sept. 1, 1934. Her brother, Phil, is nine years older; her late brother Jerry was 13 years older. Her mother Rose was an immigrant from Russia; her father Lester a first generation American. They lived in a one-bedroom apartment: Judy’s crib was a dresser drawer. Her life changed dramatically at age 14 when her father was killed at a train crossing.

Nevertheless, Judy went on to attend Queens College, traveling three hours a day to do so. She managed to get an assistantship -- a kind of scholarship – that enabled her to attend graduate school and earn a Masters in speech therapy at Pennsylvania State University, where she met her first husband, the late Stephen Beltz.

They settled in Bucks County, Pennsylvania, where Judy worked as a speech therapist and had her first three children, Lauryn, Linda and Lisa. They then moved to Elkins Park, Pennsylvania, where Leah and David were born.

In the late Sixties, Judy and Steve decided to leave their life in suburbia and after a cross-country adventure settled in Miami Florida. Three years later, the family moved to Arlington, Virginia where after a long separation Judy and Steve eventually divorced.

Judy worked in the Fairfax schools as a speech therapist, including the Lincolnia School for the Multiply-Handicapped, then worked at various positions including human resources.

She married Len Schrieber in 1999; they divorced in 2015, a difficult transition at 81. “But I am a risk taker and a survivor and I’m very blessed with a beautiful family and lots of wonderful friends and a fabulous community that supported me through these very trying years,” Judy wrote.

In fact, Judy survived numerous challenges in an almost miraculous fashion. She broke her neck due to undiagnosed osteoporosis, but managed to recover with few consequences. She shattered her elbow falling down the stairs and ended up without an elbow. She didn’t let it even slow her down.

In 2020, her shirt caught fire and she was badly burned. The doctors didn’t think much of her chances of survival, but after ten surgeries and two months in the Washington Hospital burn center ICU, she proved them all wrong.

The consequences of the fire did slow her down, though, putting her in a wheelchair and paralyzing her right hand. She moved from Revitz House to Landow House for a higher level of care, where she remained to the end of her life.

She often said how deeply grateful she was to the friends and family who helped her through the extremely difficult experience of the fire and its aftermath.

For Judy, family was the center of everything and nothing made her happier than to see her children and grandchildren. She traveled the U.S. and the world to spend time with them, including Kenya, Israel and Taiwan; she was an important part of her grandchildren’s lives and their growing up.

She is survived by her brother Phil and sister-of-the-heart Pat; her five children, Lauryn (Robert Nash), Linda (Phil), Leah (Raymond), Lisa (Shlomo Zalman) and David (Eddie); former son-in-law Anhtuan (Mary) her twelve grandchildren, Brendan, Ben, Daniel, Rose, Tzipora, Nathan, Elisheva, Rachel Ruth (Ruti), Ariel, Shira, Mordechai and Akiva; and her great- grandchildren, Chaya Rina, David Betzalel, Nechama Batzion, Yekutiel Tuvia, and Chaya Rivka.

In lieu of flowers, contributions in her memory may be made to any of the following:

Am Kolel, https://www.amkolel.org/donate

Fabragen Chaverah, https://www.fabrangen.org/donate/

Shirat HaNefesh, https://www.shirathanefesh.org/payment.php

Adas Israel, https://www.adasisrael.org/give

Moshnicks, Rabbi Mark Novak, [email protected]

Mussar Institute, https://mussarinstitute.org/

Isralight, https://www.isralight.org/donate/

Magen David Adom, https://www.mdais.org/en/donation

For a link to the livestream of the funeral, please contact a family member.