Mrs. Suri Goldstein, a”h

Mrs. Goldstein took ill two and a half years ago. She had moved to the U.S. with her husband, ybl”c, Reb Baruch Pinchos Goldstein — son of the Skolya Rebbe, shlita, Harav Rafael Goldstein. Mrs. Goldstein, 38, was the daughter of the Shomrei Emunim Rebbe, shlita, in Yerushalayim.

Mrs. Goldstein soon returned to her native Eretz Yisrael, where she worked tirelessly to support her husband’s learning — singlehandedly managing several businesses.

Shortly after she had her fourth and youngest child, ybl”c, she fell ill and began a battery of medical tests.

Tragically, the disease lurking went undiagnosed until she collapsed a year ago. She was diagnosed with advanced cancer and began treatments at Hadassah Ein Kerem. But the doctors held out little hope.

A relative, Rebbetzin Esther Horowitz, Melitzer Rebbetzin, tbl”c, said that Mrs. Goldstein’s power of emunah was far greater than her physical strength. She never succumbed to despair and was brought by RCCS to America Erev Pesach on a stretcher, with an accompanying nurse and doctor … along with her husband and children.

Soon, they were settled in an apartment provided by Bein Ish Ubein Uchiv organization — a virtual family to patients and families. The oncology team of Drs. Azriel Hirschfeld and Howard Bruckner agreed to try one more therapy. She got back some strength and was able to walk around. But the disease proved relentless.

Mrs. Goldstein worried constantly about her children. Rabbi Yitzchok Horowitz of Bein Ish Ubein Uchiv said at the levayah that she was an amazingly conscientious mother. With all her suffering, she stayed strong for her children. He quoted Harav Avrohom Schorr, shlita, that the 10 fingers are like the Aseres Hadibros. We use our fingers to build; just like the Aseres Hadibros builds a Torah home, she used her 10 fingers to build a true Torah home for her children. He also quoted, lbcl”c, Harav Avigdor Miller, zt”l, that when the passuk says “v’shachanti besocham,” it doesn’t only mean the Beis Hamikdash it also means a home where there is shalom bayis and chashivus for Torah. Rabbi Horowitz compared this idea to Mrs. Goldstein’s mesirus nefesh to make a warm home, full of Torah and yiras Shamayim.

Harav Mechel Rosenbaum, menahel at Tiferes Mordechai Kalish, the cheder of the Goldstein’s 9-year-old child,  spoke about the strength Mrs. Goldstein exhibited on behalf of her children to keep the home ehrlich at all times. How careful she was in halachah, how she would recite krias Shema with her children. He said he was awed by how the children were trained to be careful from when they were so little.

Rabbi Goldstein said his wife was the most beloved granddaughter of the Shomrei Emunim Rebbe, zt”l. She would talk about him and his tzidkus to her children all the time, reminding them to live up to his ideals.

Mrs. Goldstein is survived by, ybl”c, her husband, Harav Efraim Pinchos Goldstein; two sons and two daughters the youngest of whom is 2 years old; her father, Harav Refael Aaron, the Shomrei Emunim Rebbe in Bnei Brak; her mother, and two brothers and nine sisters.

Yehi zichrah baruch.

This article appeared in print on page 1 of the January 20th, 2014 edition of Hamodia.