Rebbetzin Leah Karelitz, a”h

When Shabbos was over, the news came through of the passing of Rebbetzin Leah Karelitz, a”h, the wife of Harav Nissim Karelitz, shlita, the Rav and Av Beis Din of Ramat Aharon in Bnei Brak and Rosh Kollel Chazon Ish. She passed away as Shabbos ended, at the age of 82.

Rebbetzin Karelitz was born on 21 Adar 1 5692/1932 to her father, Harav Tzvi (Hirsch) Kopschitz, zt”l, of Yerushalayim, a marbitz Torah, and her mother, the daughter of Harav Shmuel Hillel Shenker, zt”l, who was one of the three great talmdiim of Harav Yisrael Salanter and the son-in-law of Harav Yosef Chaim Sonnenfeld, zt”l. Young Leah was raised in a home that was saturated with Torah, avodas Hashem and sterling middos.

She studied in Bais Yaakov Hayashan in Yerushalayim. Later, she related that she always davened to be able to marry someone who would only learn Torah. On Chanukah 5711/1951, she married, ybl”c, Harav Nissim Karelitz, shlita, and from then on, she invested the rest of her life in raising her family and enabling her esteemed husband to learn.

Her total submission to her husband was remarkable, and she was only concerned that he be able to learn and teach undisturbed.

In recent months, she became ill and grew steadily weaker, until she was hospitalized a few weeks ago. She passed away on Motzoei Shabbos, with her family present.

The levayah departed on Motzoei Shabbos from her home, and passed Kollel Chazon Ish, to the Shomrei Shabbos cemetery in Zichron Meir.

This article appeared in print on page 9 of the February 23rd, 2015 edition of Hamodia.