Charlotte S. Isser of Boynton Beach, FL passed peacefully after a brief illness on July 20. The daughter of Morris and Ethel Siegel, she grew up in Brooklyn, attending Midwood High School and active in Jewish youth programs at East Midwood Jewish Center. Her higher education was at Ohio State University, Brooklyn College (BA), Columbia Teachers College, and the College of St. Rose (Med). After brief stints teaching in the New York City public school system and East Midwood Jewish Center Day School she established a long and distinguished career at the Bet Shraga Hebrew Academy of the Capital District. She was an innovator in developing curricular materials and, before retirement, served as Principal of the Judaica program. She was also a leader of the HACD Teachers Association in contract negotiations.

A member of Temple Israel, Charlotte lived in Albany from 1975 to 2014, when she moved to Florida permanently with her husband. A year living in Jerusalem (1980-81) gave her a taste for travel; she loved her trips to Israel, Egypt, China, Bosnia, Slovenia, Austria, Italy, and France, New Mexico and Arizona. She enjoyed Israeli folk dance as long as she could and was a member of Temple Israel’s Arazim performing group. She was diagnosed with Parkinson’s Disease in 1997, but coped with it successfully, perhaps heroically, continuing her work as teacher and principal and even making frequent trips to Florida to coordinate treatment for her mother’s last years, until 2014 when her symptoms accelerated. In Florida she was surrounded by old friends, many of them former HACD colleagues and fellow dancers.

She leaves behind Stanley Isser, her devoted and loving husband of 60 years (the relationship began four years before that); children Rebecca Hutchinson and Deborah Isser for whom she was a guide and encourager; their husbands Jason Hutchinson and Benjamin Herzberg; grandchildren Reed Hutchinson, Halsey Hutchinson, Anya Herzberg, and Samuel Herzberg; sister Isabel Taber; nieces Rachel Douglas and Naomi Taber; and Marie Moore, her devoted aide and close friend of ten years. Her creativity, integrity, and resilience have been a source of strength to her family and friends and to the many young students she has influenced over her years as an educator. She is the inspiration for Camp Sarah, a summer camp and youth movement for the native Jewish community in Nigeria.

Funeral services will be held at Levine Memorial Chapel, 649 Washington Ave. in Albany on Wednesday, July 24 at 1:00 pm. Burial will follow at Temple Israel Cemetery on Western Avenue.

The family will observe shiva on Wednesday and Thursday beginning at 4:00 pm at the home of Bernard and Tema Isser, 796 Cortland Street, Albany. Evening minyans at 7:00. The remaining days of shiva will be held at the home of Charlotte and Stanley Isser, 7220 Summer Tree Drive, Boynton Beach, FL.

Contributions in Charlotte’s memory might be made to Hebrew Academy of the Capital District, Temple Israel of Albany, Temple Torat Emet of Boynton Beach, the Parkinson’s Foundation, or Camp Sarah.