Joan Marsha Solomon, whose pride in her Jewish heritage and strong support for Israel shaped her family, friendships and career, died on July 9 in Pikesville. She was 75.
Her connection to Israel began in the 1970s, when she spent five formative years on Kibbutz Ramat David. There, she worked in the dairy and cared for children.
During the Yom Kippur War, when many men were called to serve, Solomon managed the dairy on her own, milking dozens of cows each day despite nearby rocket attacks.
“She was out there morning and night, even as bombs fell nearby,” recalled her former husband, Robert Brecka. “After that, she was put in charge of the entire operation.”
“Joan instantly connected with people,” said her kibbutz friend Yacovi Bar-Haim. Her energy and sense of humor made a lasting impression. Their friendship endured over decades through visits and weekly phone calls.
“She had friends there who were drafted to fight, and she was very happy to see them return,” said her son, Eric Brecka. “She kept in contact with them for the rest of her life.”
Born on Nov. 14, 1949, in Bayside, Queens, New York, Solomon was the oldest of two daughters of Dorothy and Max Solomon. Her father managed a deli and cooked on weekends. Her mother, a U.S.S.R. immigrant, worked as a tailor and spoke Yiddish with her friends. Solomon grew up surrounded by extended family.
After high school, she traveled to Israel. When she returned to the U.S., she briefly stayed in New York before moving to Baltimore at the suggestion of a friend from the kibbutz.
She later enrolled in liberal arts courses at Towson University and transitioned to a long career in real estate. Over the years, she held positions at Long & Foster and Coldwell Banker, eventually managing teams of agents.
“She always had her agents’ backs,” said longtime colleague and friend Bill Magruder, who began working with Solomon when he was 22. “She could take charge in a difficult situation and keep things calm. She was really good at that.”
Magruder also remembered her ability to recognize talent and help people build careers.
“She would say, ‘Let me work with this person,’ and she meant it. She gave people a shot.” He said she kept the office laughing, brought in food for holidays and maintained lifelong friendships with former colleagues.
Eric Brecka said his mother had a gift for understanding people. “She could talk to anyone and figure out where they were coming from,” he said. “And once she made a friend, she kept them.”
Solomon and her then-husband raised sons David and Eric in Hunt Valley before moving to Pikesville.
“She was devoted to giving us a Jewish education,” Eric Brecka said.
The boys attended Baltimore Hebrew Day School, traveled to Israel and were active in Jewish community life.
“She worked really hard to make those things possible,” David Brecka said.
Solomon also advocated for Israel from home. She wrote letters to newspapers, including The Baltimore Sun, and often spoke out against antisemitism and misinformation.
“She reminded people of the history, especially after the Holocaust and the wars with Arab countries,” Eric Brecka said. “She wanted people to look at things in context.”
At home, Solomon brought Jewish traditions to life. She cooked for the holidays and shared rituals with coworkers and friends.
“She introduced non-Jewish coworkers to the customs,” Magruder said. “She had a great brisket.”
Solomon was a community volunteer, donating her time to Southeast Community Organization, a nonprofit known for helping first-time homebuyers, especially in Southeast Baltimore, navigate the real estate process and connect with local agents.
She supported causes including the U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum and the House of Ruth Maryland and regularly donated clothing and household items.
Solomon had a keen sense of fashion and a love for design, often decorating her home for gatherings. “She liked to set a table beautifully and make people feel welcome,” Magruder said.
She was a devoted reader of The New York Times and an avid fan of movies, especially ’50s science fiction, foreign films and Broadway musicals. She also loved comedy and admired performers like Mel Brooks, Jon Stewart, Lewis Black and Ricky Gervais.
“She had that straightforward New York energy,” Eric Brecka said. “She was strong, funny and had a really big heart.”
Even as her health declined, Solomon remained professionally active, most recently working as a leasing manager in Charles Village.
She kept close ties with her sons and called weekly to offer advice or check in.
“She was always there when we needed her,” Eric Brecka said.
He also recalled the personal rituals that made their relationship so steady. “She greeted me with ‘Hi, boychik,’ and signed off every call with ‘Love you — talk soon,’” he said. “One phrase I’ll always remember was, ‘I love you more than life itself.’ She didn’t just say it. She meant it.”
Through her example, Solomon passed on lessons that stayed with her children.
“She showed us how to talk to people, how to carry yourself, how to get through difficult moments,” Eric said. “She believed if you did your best and treated people decently, that was what really mattered.”
Ellen Braunstein is a freelance writer.
