Obituary: Tziona Zalkow

Tziona Zalkow, 85, of Portland, Ore., formerly of Atlanta, Ga., died in August 2026.

Born in Jerusalem in 1940, she grew up as the youngest of four sisters. She met Leon Zalkow, an American chemistry professor, while he was a visiting professor at Ben-Gurion University, and in the early 1970s she left Israel for Atlanta with him and their eight-month-old son. She learned and appreciated American humor from TV shows like “I Love Lucy,” and “Carol Burnett.” Up until the last week of her life, she watched “Seinfeld” episodes and quoted lines to friends and family. She taught Hebrew at the Atlanta Jewish Academy for many years. She particularly loved teaching eighth graders. She and Leon moved to Portland two years ago to be near their sons. She began writing stories about her childhood in Israel during the past year. Tziona was a stylish dresser. She had a warm and engaging personality and built connections with the people in her community, from Israel to Atlanta to Portland.

She is survived by her husband, Leon; her sons, Yuvi and Dan; her daughters-in-law, Sheri and Heather; her three sisters, Nitchia, Ahuva, and Simcha; and grandchild, Savyon.