BD’E – Rebbetzin Miriam Dessler, A”h

Hamodia is saddened to report the petirah of Rebbetzin Miriam Dessler, a”h, the almanah of Harav Nachum Velvel Dessler, zt”l. She was 100 years old.

Rav Nachum Velvel was the son of Harav Eliyahu Dessler, zt”l, the mechaber of Michtav MeiEliyahu and the Mashgiacg of the Ponovez Yeshiva in Bnei Brak. Rav Eliyahu Dessler was living in England while his son, Rav Nachum Velvel, was learning in Telshe when WWII broke out. Rav Nachum Velvel escaped and arrived in New York, where he joined Yeshiva Torah Vodaas.

When Harav Eliyahu Meir Bloch, zt”l and Harav Mordechai Katz, zt”l, established Telshe Yeshiva in Cleveland, they invited Rav Nachum Velvel to come to Cleveland, where he said a shiur in the Mechina division of the yeshiva. In 1944, he started the Hebrew Academy of Cleveland, one of the first Hebrew day schools in America, and served as dean of that flagship institution for seven decades.

Harav Eliyahu Meir Bloch was the shadchan between Rav Nachum Velvel and Miriam Finger, who served as a teacher in the school, and together they built the school which served as a role model of chinuch in the United States.

Harav Nachum Velvel was niftar in Shvat, 5771/January, 2011.

Rebbetzin Dessler is survived by her sons, Rabbi Reuven Dessler, Rabbi Eliyahu Eliezer Dessler, Rabbi Simcha Zissel Dessler; her daughters Rebbetzin Sarika Shiff and Rebbetzin Malka Rapaport. Rebbetzin Dessler was predeceased by her daughter, Rebbetzin Peshy Brudny, a”h, wife of ybl”c Harav Elya Brudny, shlita, rosh yeshiva of the Mirrer Yeshiva in Brooklyn.

The levayah is scheduled for Sunday morning at 11:30 am at the Hebrew Academy’s Beatrice J. Stone Yavne High School (a division of Basi Chinuch Harav Dessler), 2475 South Green Road, Beachwood, Ohio. The levayah in Lakewood is scheduled at 4:30 p.m. at Yeshiva Be’er Hatorah, 961 East County Line Road.

The aron will be flown to Eretz Yisroel with a levayah scheduled Monday at 6:00 p.m. at Shamgar in Yerushalayim. Kevurah will be on Har Hamenuchos.

Tehi zichrah baruch.