Norma Barach, a St. Louis native and highly respected Jewish educator and writer of a popular Jewish cooking column, died suddenly at her home in Jerusalem on Jan. 3.She was 73. 

Mrs. Barach was born in St. Louis on Aug. 13, 1942, the eldest of four daughters of Hyman and Doris Katz Flaks. Her father was the longtime executive director of the Vaad Hoeir.

She was educated at Epstein Hebrew Academy and Soldan High School and she earned a bachelor of arts degree from Washington University in 1961. That same year, she married Jerry Barach. 

Mrs. Barach’s first teaching job was in Maryland Heights School District. She taught from 1964-1970 at Epstein Hebrew Academy and for the Board of Jewish Education. She wrote a column, “Classroom Classics,” for the St. Louis Globe-Democrat, quoting young schoolchildren’s humorous comments.

The family moved to Cleveland in 1970 and she taught at the Hebrew Academy of Cleveland, as well as Sunday schools and adult education. She  wrote a popular Jewish cooking column, “Meichels,” for the Cleveland Jewish News and later for JTA. The column became a popular feature for many years in the Jewish Light. 

In 1980, the couple and their four children made aliyah, settling in the Ramot neighborhood of Jerusalem. In Israel, Mrs. Barach taught English as a second language for Israel’s Ministry of Education, as well as privately. 

Funeral services and burial were in Jerusalem.

In addition to her husband, she is survived by four children,  Daniel and Avi Barach and Marla Chassid, all of Israel, and David Barach of Tacoma, Wash.; and 13 grandchildren.