Chaim Dworkin

Chaim, December 15, 2025, of Philadelphia, PA; beloved husband of Linda Cherkas; loving father of Bension Dworkin (Gwen Gordon), Elisheva Kadosh (David) and Akiva Dworkin (Tova); adoring grandfather of Noah, Doniel, Lev, Ezra, Ari, Shimon and Rami; cherished brother of Scott Dworkin (Amy).

Chaim Dworkin was born on December 23, 1946, the sixth candle of Chanukkah, at Michael Reese Hospital in Chicago, Illinois. He was the eldest child of Louis and Elaine (Kaplan) Dworkin and the loving older brother of Scott.

Chaim spent his early childhood on Chicago’s South Side in the South Shore and Hyde Park neighborhoods. At age three, his family moved to Newark, New Jersey, where his brother was born, before returning to Chicago when his father began working at K. Kaplan & Sons, a shoe-leather business owned by Chaim’s maternal grandfather. When Chaim was eleven, his father died suddenly of a heart attack at the age of forty. His mother then moved the family to Skokie, Illinois, where Chaim grew up surrounded by loving grandparents and a large tight knit extended family.

Chaim graduated from Niles East High School and began college at the University of Illinois at Chicago (Circle Campus), later transferring to the Champaign-Urbana campus. He graduated in 1969 with a Bachelor of Science in Biology and a minor in Mathematics. During the Vietnam War, Chaim was drafted but chose to serve the country through civilian government work, accepting a position at the National Institutes of Health in Bethesda, Maryland. While working full-time, he earned a master’s degree in Microbiology from George Washington University. During this period, he was active in Jews for Urban Justice and was a founding member of the Washington, DC Farbrengen, an egalitarian chavura.

At age twenty-seven, Chaim made aliyah to Israel to study Hebrew at Ulpan Etzion in Jerusalem. He continued his Jewish studies at Machon Pardes, an egalitarian yeshiva, and later worked in the Department of Human Genetics at Hadassah Hospital in Ein Kerem. When the Yom Kippur War broke out in 1973, Chaim volunteered with a team providing therapeutic support to wounded soldiers. What was meant to be a short stay in Israel ultimately became five years.

While living in Jerusalem, Chaim met his future wife, Linda, who was also studying at Pardes. Their meeting—sparked when Chaim found and returned Linda’s lost gold earring on a Jerusalem street—became a cherished family story. They married in Jerusalem on Lag B’Omer in 1978 and traveled together through seven countries in Asia over seven weeks, including Iran, Afghanistan, India, Nepal, Thailand, and the Philippines.

After returning to the United States, Linda pursued a master’s degree in social work, and Chaim began doctoral studies in Microbiology and Immunology at Temple University Medical School in Philadelphia, supported by a graduate assistantship. He earned his PhD after six years. During this time, they welcomed their son Bension, with their daughter Elisheva born shortly thereafter. Chaim went on to complete three post-doctoral fellowships at the Wistar Institute at the University of Pennsylvania, the Fels Research Institute at Temple University, and the VA Medical Center in Southwest Philadelphia. Their third child, Akiva, was born during these years. 

Chaim later worked at Information Ventures, Inc. in Center City Philadelphia, providing medical information services, including work with the Centers for Disease Control on cancer-related resources. After being laid off at age sixty-three, he joined the National Library of Medicine, where he played a role in bringing PubMed online. His professional expertise focused on clinical oncology and human genetics. He retired at age seventy-five.

In retirement, Chaim devoted himself to his family, especially his seven grandsons (Noah, Doniel, Lev, Ezra, Ari, Shimon, and Rami), whom he loved deeply. His interests included bicycling, hiking, reading, computers, and lifelong Torah learning. He was deeply engaged in Jewish communal and spiritual life, attending BZBI to say Kaddish after his mother’s death, serving on the Board of the Germantown Jewish Centre, leading Junior Congregation, and teaching in the Hebrew school He was very active at Chabad of Northwest Philadelphia for over 20 years, where he served as gabbai.

Chaim was a dedicated student of Torah and Jewish thought. He studied Mussar with Rabbi Ira Stone, Tanakh and Parashat HaShavua with Stacey Goldman, and Talmud with his son Akiva, with whom he completed Tractate Berakhot. He was known for his generosity with time and knowledge, always ready to help others—especially with computer questions and problem-solving—freely and patiently. He died on the evening of December 15th (the 26th of Kislev; the second night of Chanukah), at Chestnut Hill Hospital.

Chaim will be remembered as a devoted husband, father, brother, grandfather, scholar, scientist, and community member, whose intellect, kindness, and quiet generosity touched many lives. Zickrono Tzadik Livracha, May his memory be a blessing to those who knew and loved him.

Relatives and friends are invited to services on Thursday, December 18, 2025, 10:30AM at Germantown Jewish Centre, 400 W Ellet St, Philadelphia, PA 19119. Interment to follow at Laurel Hill West (Bala Cynwyd, PA). The family will return to the residence of Akiva and Tova.

In lieu of flowers, contributions in Chaim’s memory may be made to Germantown Jewish Centre (germantownjewishcentre.org), Chabad of Northwest Philadelphia (chabadnwp.org) or Temple Beth Zion-Beth Israel (bzbi.org). The family encourages you to purchase the donation for these charities in the form of an Israel bond. Please contact David Kadosh for assistance 267-443-2008 David.Kadosh@israelbond.com

Arrangements made by Joseph Levine & Sons - Blue Bell

www.levinefuneral.com