Rebbetzin Sasa Bluma Jurkanski, a”h

Sima Krasner, a granddaughter, told Hamodia that Rebbetzin Jurkanski devoted her life to the Torah study of her late husband, Harav Elya Jurkanski, zt”l, a longtime Rosh Yeshivah in the Mir in Flatbush, doing everything that she could so that he should not have to be busy with household chores.

“My grandmother totally stood behind him in every single way,” Mrs. Krasner said. “She gave up on her balabatishe background to take care of my grandfather, and devote herself to his Torah. She did everything for my grandfather so that he could devote himself completely to his learning.”

A daughter said that she could not bring to mind a single instance when Rebbetzin Jurkanski would leave the house for work in the morning with the table not set for Reb Elya’s lunch.

Rebbetzin Jurkanski was a pillar of strength, emunah p’shutah and a symbol of bitachon for her family, neighbors and acquaintances.

Even the passing of her daughter at a young age did not diminish her emunah in Hashem and her strength of character. When Rochel Leah Perlstein passed away on Sukkos at the age of 42, leaving behind two young sons, Rebbetzin Jurkanski, normally an emotional person, was not seen in tears, even smiling as usual as she exhibited a superhuman strength in front of her family.

It was only when she was alone that she gave vent to her sorrow, bemoaning the loss of a daughter after going through so much to bear and raise her.

She went through hardships that broke others. Born in a small Romanian village in 1926 to Reb Avrohom and Malka Malik, who were fiery Vizhnitzer Chassidim, the young Bluma lost nearly her entire family during the Second World War years.

As a 17-year-old girl in a series of concentration camps, she survived with miracles.

Finally sent to Auschwitz for extermination, Bluma noticed two lines that were growing in size following a selection. When her turn came, she was sent to the left, something she ascribed no significance to at the time.

It was only when a person motioned to her to try to get onto the other line that she managed to save herself. She was eternally grateful to that person, marveling at the generations of descendants that she gave life to in his merit.

Aside for a single brother who moved to Eretz Yisrael, Bluma emerged from the war years bereft of her entire family. But she was determined to rebuild.

As soon as she could get a visa, Bluma moved to New York and married Reb Elya Jurkanski, the Russian-born talmid of the famed Baranovitch and Mirrer yeshivos, who survived the war in Shanghai. He, too, was alone, having lost his family in the Holocaust.

The Jurkanski couple, comprised of a talmid of the Litvishe world’s finest yeshivos who was born in Russia and a Romanian-born daughter of a Vizhnitzer Chassid, enjoyed a model relationship. People watching them walk home from shul together were awed at their special rapport.

Reb Elya and his Rebbetzin lived at first in Williamsburg, with Reb Elya commuting every day to his new job as a maggid shiur in Mir. They later moved to Flatbush, where he became Rosh Yeshivah of that institution for more than a half century.

For many years, Rebbetzin Jurkanski was a cook at a senior citizens home, where the residents gravitated to her because  she listened to them. A woman of few words, she was listened to when she spoke.

“Your mother keeps me alive,” one elderly neighbor  told her son.

Rebbetzin Jurkanski and her husband loved their children and grandchildren. Mrs. Krasner recalled receiving apple pie and ice cream, potato kugel and meat dishes whenever she would come visit.

During the break between Shacharis and the tekios on Rosh Hashanah, as well as on Motzoei Yom Kippur, Rebbetzin Jurkanski would bring lavishly arranged cake platters for the women in the Mirrer Yeshivah.

Reb Elya was niftar seven years ago, and Rebbetzin Jurkanski, who was then in a deteriorating physical condition, moved in with her daughter, Mrs. Malkah Lobel.

She passed away on Monday, and rightfully received a noble levayah.

The maspidim, ybl”c, included Harav Avraham Nelkenbaum, Rosh Yeshivah of Mir; Harav Osher Kalmanowitz, Rosh Yeshivah of Mir; Harav Malkiel Kotler, Rosh Yeshivah of Bais Medrash Govoha in Lakewood; Harav Yeruchim Olshin, Rosh Yeshivah of Bais Medrash Govoha; Harav Avrohom Jurkanski, a son; Harav Reuven Jurkanski, a son; Harav Shmuel Perlstein, a son-in-law; Harav Tzvi Lobel, a son-in-law; and Harav Ezriel Jurkanski, a son.

Rebbetzin Jurkanski is survived by, ybl”c, her children, Reb Avrohom, Reb Reuven, Reb Ezriel, Reb Chaim Shaul (founder of Tiferes Devorah L’kallah in Lakewood) and Mrs. Malkah Lobel. She was predeceased by Mrs. Rochel Leah Perlstein, a”h, who tragically passed away about 15 years ago.

Kevurah is scheduled for Tuesday afternoon at Har Hamenuchos, near her husband and daughter.

Shivah will be observed at 1770 E. 15th Street in Flatbush until Friday, and in 79 Roselle Court in Lakewood from Motzei Shabbos until Monday morning.

Yeho zichrah baruch.

This article appeared in print on page 1 of the April 23rd, 2013 edition of Hamodia.