Rachel Cohen

Rachel Cohen (née Dubiecki) was born in Poland and spent her early childhood surrounded by the love of her parents and sister. Her idyllic childhood was shattered when World War II broke out and her Jewish family was forced into a ghetto outside Warsaw.

After losing all of their relatives, Rachel, her sister, and their parents escaped the ghetto and began a perilous journey of survival. They hid beneath floorboards, in barns, farmhouses, attics, and cellars, moving from place to place and living under assumed identities. Eventually, a Christian family took them into their homes and their lives, providing refuge that contributed to their ability to survive until the war was over.

While living in hiding, Rachel’s parents welcomed two more children, a daughter and a son. After the war, they were placed in a Displaced Persons (DP) camp in Germany for Holocaust survivors. From there, they boarded the second refugee ship to arrive in Australia.

The family settled in Melbourne, where Rachel completed her high school education and went on to attend the University of Melbourne where she studied physical therapy. She met, fell in love, and married Jack Cohen, a medical student originally from Boston, Massachusetts.

After completing his medical studies, Jack hoped to practice medicine in New Jersey. The young couple, along with their firstborn son, Harry, moved to the United States. Son’s Michael and Lee followed. The family of five eventually settled in Montclair, New Jersey.

Rachel was a woman of many talents and interests, with a particular passion for fine wines and preparing wonderful gourmet meals. She also had a talent for baking and sold cakes and other desserts to Bloomingdale’s and fine restaurants in New York City. Among her most notable customers was the King of Pop, Michael Jackson, who was especially fond of her carrot cake.

But of all her accomplishments, Rachel was most proud of her family. Her three sons, her daughters-in-law, her grandchildren, and her great-grandchildren were the center of her world and the source of her greatest joy and pride.

Rachel’s life was a remarkable testament to courage, resilience, love, and the enduring strength of family. She survived unimaginable hardship, built a new life across two continents, and created a loving family of her own. She was deeply loved and will be profoundly missed by all who had the privilege of knowing her.

Charitable donations in Rachel's memory may be made to St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital (http://www.stjude.org).

Arrangements by Joseph Levine & Sons