Sharon Garelick, 59, temple president

Sharon Garelick, a former president of Temple Shearith Israel who had helped raise money to help both Israelis and Russians, died Oct. 28 in St. Thomas, Virgin Islands, where she had lived for several years. She was 59 years old.
Ms. Garelick moved to Ridgefield in 1987, and was executive director of The Jewish Federation in Danbury from 1987 to 1992. During that time she raised hundreds of thousands of dollars for Israel and those in need in the United States. Through her efforts and that of the community, many Russian families were resettled to the greater Danbury area.
Ms. Garelick served as president of Temple Shearith Israel from 1995 to 1996.
She was one of the original founders of the Greater Danbury Coalition for Community United, formerly known as A World of Difference, which is still an active group in the community.
She remained in Ridgefield until 1997.
She was born April 22, 1943 in Chicago and received bacehlor’s and master’s degrees from Indiana University and lived for many years in Indianapolis. She was the Hebrew Congregation Religious School director there as well as president of the National Council of Jewish Women Indianapolis Section.
Ms. Garelick “is remembered by her myriad of friends from all over the U.S. and in St. Thomas as being a warm, highly intelligent, generous, caring person — a true and loyal friend,” her family said.
She is survived by two sons, David and his wife, Marcy and their twin daughter and son, Sydney and Grayson, and Andrew and wife, Nancy, and their daughters, Emma and Lily; a sister, Susan McHugh; nephew, Jeff Flash and his wife, Heather.
Rabbi Jon Haddon of Temple Shearith Israel will conduct a memorial service Sunday, Nov. 24, at 2 at the synagogue at 46 Peaceable Street.
In lieu of flowers, the family asks that any donations in her memory be made to the Union of American Hebrew Congregations, Development Department, 633 Third Avenue, New York NY 10017; specify the Eisendrath International Exchange which supports study in Israel for American high school students.