Baruch Dayan HaEmet: Valerie Lebovitz z”l

star-of-david

Valerie Lebovitz (Feige bat Yisrael v’Bluma Hendel), Irene Rosenschein’s oldest, closest and only remaining sister, left the world peacefully on Shabbat Hanukkah in her home in Borough Park, Brooklyn. She was 102 years old. Feige took care of many people and was a mother figure to her sisters, nieces and nephews, though she never had children of her own. She was the oldest of the four sisters, including Irene, who survived Auschwitz. Feige, know to many as Vali, lived independently in her brownstone until the very end.  She was a deeply religious and righteous woman who spent hours every day in prayer up until a few days ago when she was confused and said if she couldn’t doven anymore, her mission here was done. She was always kind and non-judgmental.  May her neshama be at peace.

The funeral was in New York on Sunday, January 1st, the 8th day of Hanukkah.

Irene is the only surviving direct mourner and will be sitting shiva here in Boulder.

Shiva visiting times will be from 4:00 – 7:30 pm Sunday, Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday with a maariv minyan at 6:00 pm each night.

Hamakom y.nachem – blessings of strength, comfort and light to Irene.

Rabbi Marc

About Rabbi Marc Soloway

Marc is a native of London, England where he was an actor and practitioner of complimentary medicine before training as a rabbi in London, Jerusalem and Los Angeles. He was ordained at the Ziegler School of Rabbinical Studies at the American Jewish University in 2004 and has been the the spiritual leader at Bonai Shalom in Boulder ever since. Marc was a close student of Rabbi Zalman Schechter Shalomi and received an additional smicha (rabbinic ordination) from him in 2014, just two months before he died. He has been the host and narrator of two documentary films shown on PBS; A Fire in the Forest: In Search of the Baal Shem Tov and Treasure under the Bridge: Pilgrimage to the Hasidic Masters of Ukraine. Marc is a graduate of the Institute of Jewish Spirituality, a fellow of Rabbis Without Borders, has traveled to Ghana in a rabbinic delegation with American Jewish World Service and co-chair of the Rabbinical Council and national board member of Hazon, which strives to create more sustainable Jewish communities. In 2015, Marc was among a group of 12 faith leaders honored at The White House as “Champions of Change” for work on the climate. Marc is a proud member of Beit Izim, Boulder’s Jewish goat milking co-op.

Check Also

Harper Hammer-Cadora Bet Mitzvah

On Saturday, December 2nd, 2023 Harper Hammer-Cadora will be called to the Torah as Bet Mitzvah at Congregation Har HaShem.

Elliott Siegel Bet Mitzvah

On Saturday, October 28th, 2023 Elliott Siegel was called to the Torah as Bet Mitzvah at Congregation Har HaShem.

%d bloggers like this: