Funeral Details

Kerana Gladstone Kraft

April 6, 1943 - April 27, 2026

SERVICE INFORMATION

Date and Time

Friday, May 1, 2026 at 12:30 PM

Service

North Suburban Synagogue Beth El
1175 Sheridan Road
Highland Park, Illinois 60035
Get Directions

Clergy

Rabbi Michael Schwab
Rabbi Alex Freedman
Hazzan Jacob Sandler
North Suburban Synagogue Beth El

Interment

Shalom Memorial Park
1700 West Rand Road
Arlington Heights, Illinois 60004
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Shiva

The Residence of Barbara Hoffman
601 Mulberry Place, Unit 3i
Highland Park, Illinois 60035
Get Directions
Sunday, May 3 and Monday, May 4
12PM – 5PM
(Mincha service at 2PM)

Shiva Coordinators:
Lisa Fishbein 847.703.3077
Devorah Sarah 773.318.3624

Adam and Rachel will return to Florida later in May for a small shivah at Sinai Residences, where Kerana and Avram lived.

Friday, May 1, 2026 at 12:30PM Central Time.
LIVESTREAM

Memorial Contributions

MCP Chicago Rescue & Outreach
www.mcprescue.org/donate

North Suburban Synagogue Beth El
www.nssbethel.org

Congregation Kehillath Israel
congki.org/give/

B’nai Torah Congregation
www.btcboca.org/giving/

Foundation to Combat Anti-Semitism
offers.kraftse.com/offers/fcas-combat-antisemitism




OBITUARY

Kerana Gladstone Kraft, age 83

Beloved wife of the late Dr. Avram R. Kraft. Loving mother of Rachel (Douglas Brown) Kraft, Adam (Partner in life Lois Miller) Kraft, and mother-in-law of the late Michael Maggio. Cherished sister of the late Miriam (George Saiger) Gladstone Saiger, the late Judith (the late Leonard Swade) Gladstone Swade, the late Tamar (Edmund O’Brien) Gladstone O’Brien, the late David Elchanan (Sarah Rehm Gladstone) Gladstone, and sister-in-law of Robert (Dr. Dana Blumberg) Kraft and Elizabeth (Peter Levine) Kraft Levine, and the late Myra Kraft. Dear step-grandmother of Ben Maggio, Brittany (Jose Manuel Astudillo) Brown, Stephen (Laura Rosenbaum Brown) Brown, and Meredith (Max Wertheimer) Brown, and step-great-grandmother of Eliana, Teodoro (Teo), Santiago (Santi), and Nicholas (Nico) Astudillo Brown, Lily and Ruby Brown and Van Scanlan Wertheimer. Adored aunt, cousin, colleague, and friend.

Born in Burlington, Vermont, Kerana Gladstone met her husband Avram who was her father’s medical student at the University of Vermont. Kerana and Avram eventually settled in Northbrook, Illinois where Kerana was a psychiatric nurse for many decades at Evanston Hospital (now Endeavor Health). She was a Hospice volunteer with Avram and together they traveled to London to meet the nurse who founded the modern Hospice Movement, Dame Cicely Saunders. After 40 years of living on Chicago’s Northshore, Kerana and her husband Avram moved to Boca Raton, Florida.

Service Friday, May 1, 12:30 PM at North Suburban Synagogue Beth El, 1175 Sheridan Road, Highland Park, Illinois 60035. Interment Shalom Memorial Park, 1700 W Rand Rd, Arlington Heights, IL 60004 immediately following. All are welcome.

In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to MCP Chicago Rescue & Outreach, www.mcprescue.org/donate, North Suburban Synagogue Beth El, www.nssbethel.org; Congregation Kehillath Israel, congki.org/give/; B’nai Torah Congregation, www.btcboca.org/giving/; or the Foundation to Combat Anti-Semitism, offers.kraftse.com/offers/fcas-combat-antisemitism.

Arrangements by Chicago Jewish Funerals - Skokie Chapel, 847.229.8822, www.cjfinfo.com. To attend the funeral livestream, please visit our website.


GUEST BOOK

We encourage you to share your personal condolences and stories of Kerana Gladstone Kraft below and we will share them with the family.
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A very, very dear person, beautiful inside and out. She and Av (z'l) were beloved members of our Beth El (HP) community for decades, until they moved, after retirement, to Florida, but no one here who knew them ever forgot them and their warm, loving natures.

Robert Berger
April 29, 2026
She was such a compassionate and kind person.
She made a positive difference to so many in so many ways. She will be missed, but her goodness will always be remembered. May her memory be for a blessing.
Steven and Merle Tovian, Highland Park

Steven and Merle Tovian
April 29, 2026
I met this tall and beautiful women at SSDS
Oh so many years ago. I loved her immediately. Her warm smile, her engaging personality. We continued at Beth El and joined the same Chavaraj. So much fun!!!
I moved to the city, but we reconnected thru our Woman’s Group., and I loved her even more.

I will miss her. She was special and that is how she made me feel. Goodbye dear friend, rest in peace!!!

Phyllis Kopnos
April 29, 2026
I met Kerana Gladstone Kraft on January 23 in the emergency room at the hospital where I work as a phlebotomist. I drew her blood that day, and later that evening, her case manager, Davida, asked if I was available to work with her that night. I said yes, and from that day on, I had the honor of caring for her as her caregiver until the very end.

Kerana was a lovely person—very kind, always appreciative of everything done for her, and she treated everyone with respect. She touched my heart deeply, and I miss her very much.

Rest in peace, dear Kerana. You are no longer in pain. You are in a better place.

My heartfelt condolences to her daughter Rachel, her son Aden, and to all her family and friends.

With sympathy,
Alourdes Williams

Alourdes Williams
April 30, 2026
I will miss her

GEORGE SAIGER
May 1, 2026
I worked with Karen’s at Evanston Hospital on the Psychiatric unit as an Occupational Therapist when she was building her house in Northbrook. She was warm, friendly and a dynamic nurse positively impacting all of the patients and staff. I have not seen her since I stopped working there but seeing her obituary saddened me.

Judy Keidan Vass
May 1, 2026
I will remember Kerana with great fondness. A warm, fierce, witty presence in so many lives.

Brian Saber
May 1, 2026
Dear Rachel and family,

We are very sorry for your loss. Your mom was a sweet and lovely lady. We enjoyed eating outside in the garden area on the second floor with Katie and Sally at Sinai. We would see each other in the hallway always stopping to chat. We played bingo together and would see her at services on Friday afternoon. We watched the memorial service with Shirley and Steve. Both of you had beautiful stories about your mom.
Rachel, it was nice meeting you originally on the Sinai Family Forum zoom.

Gale and Mickey Lev and Bliden
May 8, 2026
CONDOLENCES
Though words cannot heal the pain.
May the memories be a guiding light,
Bringing comfort and strength during this
Difficult time.
With deepest sympathy and heartfelt condolences.
May love surround and uplift you.

Angie Love
May 12, 2026