This week our family experienced the loss of Malkie’s mother, Shifra bas R’ Eliyahu, known to all as Rebbetzin Shifra Stone.
She was a person who “wore many hats.” For us she was a mother and a Bubby. She always referred to me as her favorite son-in-law (I had no competition…). She was a devoted daughter to her parents. She loved spending time with her family, especially at Simchas. Three weeks ago, we celebrated the wedding of our daughter Chana, and my mother-in-law reveled in every moment of the Simcha.
She served alongside her husband, R’ Avraham Stone, may he live and be well, for decades in his capacity as a Rabbi in the Flatbush section of Brooklyn. She was a gifted teacher; she taught a weekly class for women in her neighborhood that was well attended. She was involved in many communal organizations and causes. Her primary public role was as principal of Yeshiva Ohel Moshe that she ran along with her brother, R’ Dov Machlis, may he live and be well, following the passing of their parents who served at the helm of the school and community in their lifetime.
In the spirit of the verse in Ecclesiastes 7:2, “And the living shall take to heart,” I would like to highlight four areas of her life from which we can draw inspiration for our own lives.
1. Honoring parents: Her devotion to her parents during their lifetime was legendary. She continued to honor them long after their passing as well.
2. Jewish Education: She was dedicated to the education of Jewish children. Yeshiva Ohel Moshe was a school that was known to accommodate any child seeking a Jewish education. She spent weeks every summer calling parents of Jewish public-school children to convince them to enroll their children in school so that can get a Jewish education. Thousands of children passed through that school and are living Jewish lives today. When noticing some issues in the home lives of these children, she would make sure the kids were fed and clothed and taken care of to the best of her ability.
3. Family Purity: She was a pioneer in the effort to get Jewish women to observe the Mikvah tradition. She personally taught and developed a curriculum for brides about the traditions of family purity. The Rebbe acknowledged her role in this effort on several occasions.
4. Open Home: Their home was always open. There were always guests at the table, especially people that didn’t always feel welcome elsewhere. Even this past Pesach, when she was not in good health, she got a call on the afternoon before the Seder asking to host a fellow who needed a place to go that would be accepting.
May we, the living, take to heart and be inspired by those examples. May Hashem comfort Malkie and her family among the mourners of Zion and Jerusalem. May we speedily merit the fulfillment of the prophecy in Isaiah 25:8, “Death will be concealed forever, and the L-rd G-d shall wipe the tears off every face.”
Shabbat Shalom
Rabbi Mendel Rivkin