Monday, May 23, 2011

Barnard Magazine Spring 2011

From the Class Notes & Profiles section of Barnard Magazine, Spring 2011, p.55

Laurie Weinzweig Wakschlag writes:
"It is with great sorrow that I report the passing of Taube Levine Korn in May 2010. Following Barnard, Taube received her master's degree in occupational therapy from Columbia. She married her husband, Rabbi Ir (Yitzchak) Korn, in 1983 and they made aliyah in 1985. Taube and Ira raised their children in Jerusalem: Bracha, Sari, Elisheva, Tiferet, Tzvi, and Avital. Throughout their 27 years together, Taube and Ira raised their children in a household rich with the ideals of religious Zionism and a life imbued with spiritual passion, ardent principle and humility, deeply embedded in community. Well before e-mail and Facebook, Taube served as the hub of networking amongst her Barnard friends and other friends from around the globe. Despite her busy life, she somehow kept in touch with everyone, and we always knew that she was the one who could tell us where someone was at any particular time and what they were doing. In all these ways, Taube was a touchstone and at the heart of connection to family and friends. Going to Israel invariably meant a visit with Taube- she insisted on it.
Taube's work as an occupational therapist at the Alyn Hospital Pediatric and Adolescent Rehabilitation Center in Jerusalem was healing and inspiring to many children, families, and colleagues. Her work with pediatric injury victims led Taube to become interested in the public health implications of this work. She began doctoral studies in this area at the School of Public Health of Hebrew University. Taube also become a champion of transportation safety in Israel for children and individuals with special needs and became a leading expert in the development of safety policies throughout Israel. In this capacity, she participated in Knesset committees on safe transport, guest-edited a special issue of the Israeli Journal of Occupational Therapy dedicated to traffic safety, and published an article in Pediatrics. She was also the first child-passenger-safety instructor in Israel.
In the fall of 2006, Taube began a long and valiant battle with sarcoma. As in all else in life, she drew strength from her steadfast faith and her deep and unwavering partnership with Ira. Taube insisted on being an informed and active partner in her treatment throughout her illness. In so doing, she inspired physicians, friends, and family members alike. Despite a rather quiet presence, knowing her made a profound impact on so many because of her fierce insistence on living an examined life, her profound spirituality, her lifelong idealism, and her devotion to family and friends. She is sorely missed, but her legacy and spirit live on. Taube is survived by Ira, their six children and two grandchildren, her parents, and four siblings."