Rebbetzin Rochel Leah Brudny, A”h

With sadness Hamodia regrets to inform you of the petirah of Rebbetzin Rochel Leah Brudny, a”h, wife of Hagaon Harav Shmuel Brudny, zt”l, Rosh Yeshivah in Mirrer Yeshiva, at the age of 94.

Rebbetzin Brudny was raised in Mir, Poland, where her father Harav Dovid Leshinsky learned. Her grandfather, who had served as a shochet in Porzov, had emigrated to America where he worked as a shochet in Orlando, Florida, and sent money to support his family in Europe. Rav Dovid’s father was able to send papers for his children, and they were able to enter America from Japan at the beginning of WWII. In America, Rav Dovid served as a Maggid Shiur in Lubavitch.

In 1948, Rebbetzin Brudny married Rav Shmuel, one of the prized talmidim of the Mir, who was already saying a blatt shiur in the reconstituted Mirrer Yeshiva after they arrived from Shanghai, China, where they spent the war years.

The family settled in Williamsburg, and lived for many years in the same house as her sister, Rebbetzin Rivka Kreiser, a”h, and her husband Harav Aharon, zt”l, who Rav Shmuel knew from the Mir. Rebbetzin Brudny taught in Bais Yaakov of Williamsburg for many years, and after they moved to Flatbush in the late 60s, she taught in Bais Yaakov of Boro Park as well. During that time, she educated several generations of talmidos.

Her respect for bnei Torah was legendary, and she would stand up completely for any yeshivah bachur or yungerman who entered her home. Often, she would regale them with her storehouse of tales of life in Europe, explaining the hashkafas hachaim of the Torah life through the many experiences and encounters with great people she had over the course of her life.

Rebbetzin Brudny is survived by her sons, ybl”c, Harav Elya Brudny, Rosh Yeshivah in Mirrer Yeshiva; Harav Abba Brudny, Mashgiach at Beth Medrash Govoha of Lakewood; Rebbetzin Basya Ben-Menachem, wife of Harav Menachem Ben-Menachem, Rosh Yeshivah of Tifrach; and her brother Harav Yeruchom Leshinsky, Maggid Shiur in Mirrer Yeshiva. Her sister, Rebbetzin Rivka, and her brother Harav Yaakov Leshinsky, zt”l, of Yerushalayim, passed away several years ago.

The levayah is scheduled to be held at the Mirrer Yeshiva in Flatbush, 1791 Ocean Pkwy (corner Avenue R) on Tuesday at 12:30PM.

Yehi zichrah baruch.