Rebbetzin Rivkah Sheina Bluth, a”h

“To describe her in one phrase: Never took; always gave,” Avi Gurwitz, Rebbetzin Bluth’s oldest grandchild, told Hamodia on Tuesday. “As a grandchild growing up, Bubby’s house was the place to be.”

Rebbetzin Bluth’s husband, the Rav of Khal Ahavas Achim in Kensington and a meshamesh of Harav Moshe Feinstein, zt”l, until the latter’s passing, is a respected posek for a variety of community organizations. She began working shortly after their marriage, at a time and place when marrying a long-term learner was not in vogue, to enable him to learn.

“My grandfather, when they got married, was described as a bench kvetcher,” Gurwitz said.

Born in 1943, as one of ten children of Reb Simcha and Mattil Yehudis Gindoff, immigrants from Eastern Europe who moved to Brooklyn’s East Flatbush — where he owned a shop — Rivkah attended the local public school but imbibed an ahavas haTorah and yiras Shamayim from her parents.

In the 1960s, Rivkah was introduced to Elimelech Bluth, a young but brilliant talmid chacham who studied at the time in Mesivta Tiferes Yerushalayim and served as the meshamesh of the Rosh Yeshivah, Harav Moshe Feinstein, zt”l.

The Bluths got married and moved to Bensonhurst, the first of several stops the couple took in pursuit of Rabbi Bluth’s rabbanus. She supported the family by taking on odd jobs such as babysitting and taking care of special-needs children as Rabbi Bluth spent his time in the company of Reb Moshe.

He presently serves as Rav and posek of Women’s League, Chai Lifeline and Camp Simcha.

Family members recall Rebbetzin Bluth as a private person, but with an extremely giving nature. She took ill about 15 years ago, a sickness that worsened over the past five years and she was moved to an assisted-living home.

Rebbetzin Bluth passed away at 10:30 Monday night and was buried at Wellwood cemetery in Long Island.

The levayah took place in Shomrei Hadas chapels in Boro Park. Maspidim included Reb Avraham Aharon Bluth, a son; Harav Reuven Feinstein, Rosh Yeshivah of Yeshiva of Staten Island; Yerucham Silverman, president of Khal Ahavas Achim; Harav Yisroel Belsky, Rosh Yeshivah of Yeshiva Torah Vodaath and Reb Yossi Warman, a son-in-law.

Rebbetzin Bluth is survived by her husband, Harav Elimelech Bluth, children Reb Avraham Aharon, Esther Rochel Gurwitz, Miriam Gewirtzman, Peninah Warman, Batsheva Hess and Chaya Sori Lewenstein, and  grandchildren and great-grandchildren.

Shivah will be observed at 606 East 2nd Street until Monday morning.

Yehi zichrah baruch.

This article appeared in print on page D22 of the May 1st, 2013 edition of Hamodia.