After a valiant battle for several weeks against COVID-19, Israel Jack Tarzik passed away on April 20.

Tarzik was born in a displaced persons camp in 1946, after World War II, and traveled to the United States with his parents a short time later.

He began his education at a public school, but was transferred to a yeshivah after he came home singing holiday carols. His start at Yeshiva Chaim Berlin in New York began his parents’ return to the religious lifestyle they had lived before their world was turned upside down at the onset of the war and the Holocaust.

For years, Jack Tazrik served as director of the Hebrew Academy of Long Beach’s Camp Avnet, working with care and creativity during his decades in the camping industry.

His successor at Camp Avnet, Daniel Stroock, paid tribute to his mentor in the pages of the The 5 Towns Jewish Times, saying, “He told us it never rained in Avnet. We believed him. He taught us to pay attention to the details (indeed I’ve never known anyone as organized), how to be professional, and ... , I bore witness many times to how difficult it was for him to say no to those in need. He never did.”

Stroock remembered Tarzik’s concern for every camper, his enduring sense of humor and fun, which were warmly remembered for years after a camper had left. He was also known for his ability to separate his professional and personal lives, being totally present for his family.

He is survived by his wife, Miriam; their children: Corey, Itta and Ari; and grandchildren.

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