Obituary: Edith Weiss

Edith “Mimi” Weiss was born in April 1942 in Jánoshalma, Hungary. She never met her father as he was forced into labor camp and later died before her birth. Edith, her older sister, Lea, and their mother were transported to a concentration camp only to be rerouted to a labor camp, an act which saved their lives. In 1945, she and other family survivors returned to Hungary. Her mother remarried another Holocaust survivor and the family moved to Békéscsaba where they lived until 1957. At age 15, Edith and Lea emigrated to Israel by themselves, starting first with crossing the border into Austria. They stayed a year in Austria sewing in a sweat shop. After reaching Israel, the sisters were separated: Edith was sent to a boarding school in Jerusalem and Lea was sent a kibbutz near Be’er Sheva.

Edith was a prolific artist. She began developing her artistic talent as a child after the war when she was frequently given a piece of paper and a pen or pencil as a form of entertainment. In her early teens in Hungary, she took a brown paper bag and drew a picture of an old man on it, and this artwork won Edith an international competition. The prize included a trip around the world, but the prize was canceled when the organizers discovered that Edith was Jewish.

Edith got married in Tel Aviv in 1963 and two children followed. She loved her life in Israel and was very happy there. She created successes like a daycare center, which was one of the first that served newborns to 3-year-olds, and provided both transportation and meals. The family moved to Rehovot in 1973 and lived in a private home, a status symbol in that time. Edith’s art career flourished in Israel where her works were exhibited in galleries and art fairs. Her art allowed her to become the breadwinner for the family.

In 1979, the family followed Edith’s husband’s career and moved to England and spent summers in Nigeria. Shortly after moving to the U.S. in 1985, the marriage ended in a bad divorce. Edith moved to Rochester, N.Y., in 1989 to be closer to her sister, and bought her first investment property in 1990. Edith moved to Atlanta almost 10 years later as her first of her grandchildren were born. Edith’s real estate investments became her career, and she continued to create art for her own enjoyment throughout her life. In recent years, Edith loved searching for and finding bargains at estate sales and antique stores.

Edith passed away suddenly on July 17, 2026. Graveside services were held on July 20 at Arlington Cemetery with Rabbi Ephraim Silverman presiding. Survivors include her sister, Lea Malek, her daughter and son-in-law, Anat and Steve Alperin, her grandchildren, Yoel and Shira Alperin, her son and his family as well as many nieces, nephews, cousins, and other family members in the U.S., Israel and Europe. Donations in Edith’s memory may be made to her favorite charities: American Friends of Magen David Adom or Friends of the Israel Defense Forces. Arrangements by Dressler’s Jewish Funeral Care, 770-451-4999.