Rita Ezor

Rita Ezor, 81, of West Orange died Sept. 20, 2017. Born in Newark, she lived in New York City, Maplewood, and Fair Lawn before moving to West Orange two years ago.

Early in her career, Mrs. Ezor taught social studies at junior high schools in New York City and Scotch Plains and supervised student teachers at Kean College. She then spent more than 20 years training teachers as part of a writing project, Individualized Language Arts (the “Weehawken Project”), created by her husband, Edwin. Working with teachers on U.S. Army bases in Germany, Bahrain, the Virgin Islands, Puerto Rico, and in most of the 50 states, she taught thousands of educators how to teach writing to their students.

She was the first girl to graduate from the Yeshiva of Newark, now known as Joseph Kushner Hebrew Academy in Livingston. She received a degree from Jersey City State College and earned most of the credits toward her master’s degree from Newark State Teachers College (now known as Kean University). 

She was a longtime member of Congregation Beth El, South Orange, and had been active on its school board.

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Predeceased by her husband, she is survived by two daughters, Martha (Rabbi Paul) Resnick of Teaneck and Donna (Howard) Stolzer of Basking Ridge; her son, Jonathan (Stacy) Ezor of West Hempstead, N.Y.; and seven grandchildren.

Services were held Sept. 24 with arrangements by Gutterman and Musicant Jewish Funeral Directors, Hackensack. Memorial contributions may be made to Adler Aphasia Center, 60 West Hunter Ave., Maywood, or a charity of one’s choice.