The joy-filled life of Rebbetzin Gitel Weinberg, whose sole purpose was to gladden the hearts of others.
Just three weeks ago in Yerushalayim, Rebbetzin Gitel (Twersky) Weinberg—the link between generations of Rebbes of the Tolna Chassidic dynasty—passed away at the age of 85.
Her son, Rabbi Yitzchok Menachem Weinberg, the Tolna Rebbe of Yerushalayim, was wont to associate the three letters of the word “Avel” (mourner)—Alef, Beis, Lamed—with the first letters of the three Yiddish words, “Ich bin lustig” (I am happy). He explains that those who are in mourning for family members should be lustig (happy) because their loved ones are now in a better place, in the world of Truth next to Hashem.
These three words—“Ich bin lustig”—could also describe the late Rebbetzin Braindel Leah Gitel Weinberg. People who have known her for several decades claim they’ve never seen her without a smile. Gifted with an unusually positive view of the world and tremendous simchas hachaim, she would greet everyone with her winsome smile and cheerful blue eyes. She was interested in every single person and often would regale listeners with humorous anectdotes until they could no longer hold back their laughter. Then, the Rebbetzin herself would burst into effervescent laughter and before long, the entire room would be in an upbeat mood, grinning from ear to ear.
Early Years
The Rebbetzin grew up in Montreal, an only child and the apple of her parents’ eyes. Her father, Rabbi Yochanan Twersky, opened a Beis Medrash for Russian immigrants who had been Chernobler and Tolna Chassidim in their native country. He descended from a long line of great Chassidic Rebbes; his father, Rabbi Mordechai Dovid of Tolna, was reportedly the first Chassidish Rebbe in New York.
Gitel’s mother, Rebbetzin Tzipporah Pearl Twersky, descended from three Chassidish dynasties: Kaliver, Zidichov and Kozlov. She was the daughter of Rabbi Moshe Langner, the Strettiner Rebbe of Toronto, a well-known composer of niggunim who inspired thousands of Chassidim.
Gitel’s parents’ shidduch was made by Rabbi Meir Shapiro, the Lubliner Rov famous for instituting the Daf Yomi. He met Rabbi Yochanan on a ship sailing from Eretz Yisrael to the U.S. when the latter was a bochur returning home after learning in Yerushalayim—he had studied at the prestigious Yeshivas Ohel Moshe where he received semicha from Rabbi Yitzchok Yerucham Diskin ztz”l and Rabbi Yosef Chaim Sonnenfeld ztz”l.
Rebbetzin Gitel’s childhood home was permeated with poetry. Her mother was an outstanding Yiddish poetess whose brilliant and insightful poems included such titles as “Der Moach” (the brain), “Die Oigen” the eyes and “Ich Zich a Frimer Psycholog” (I seek a frum psychologist). The latter poem ends with the words, if a Talmid Chochom would become a doctor and heal neshamos, we would have a healthy world with people who don’t aspire for wealth.
The Rebbetzin’s husband, Rabbi Yisroel Weinberg, was born in Poland and raised in Toronto, Canada, the son of a prominent businessman. With their marriage several years after the Holocaust and right around the establishment of the State of Israel, the young idealistic couple decided to make Eretz Yisrael their home. In 1949, with Gitel pregnant with their first child, the two made aliyah. Rabbi Weinberg ultimately became employed by the Israeli government, in the Misrad HaDatot, the Ministry of Religious Services. Rebbetzin Weinberg’s parents followed their only daughter, moving to Rechavia in Jerusalem where they became close with their next door neighbor, the Tchebiner Rebbe, Rabbi Dov Berish Weidenfeld.
Eclectic Interests
The Rebbetzin was a superb balabusta, with a special knack for delicious and creative cooking and baking. She was famous for making special birthday cakes in different shapes. When her youngest daughter Shira became a Kallah, Rebbetzin Gitel discovered that the Chosson’s sister was becoming Bas Mitzvah. Though she had only just met her, the Rebbetzin baked a huge surprise Bas Mitzvah cake in the shape of a jewelry box. Inside the cake (in the opening of the box), she placed a necklace and other jewelry she fashioned from candies. One can imagine the shocked and surprise of the new machatonim in Rechovot when they opened the large package. Decades later, the recipient still associates the Rebbetzin with the tremendous joy she derived from this surprise cake.
Having lived in Eretz Yisrael for close to 65 years, Rebbetzin Weinberg became very knowledgeable about the historical background of the buildings around Yerushalayim—and the people who lived and worked there. An outstanding raconteur, she would relate fascinating narratives to the many guests she hosted from all over the world in her home on Rechov Weisberg in Bayit Vegan.
The main interests dear to the Rebbetzin’s heart, of course, were her seven children. When her parents moved to Bayit Vegan—her father established his Beis Medrash on Rechov HaPisgah—Rabbi Twerksy took his four grandsons under his wing. He preened the oldest, Rabbi Yitzchok Menachem Weinberg—well known for his Daf Yomi Shiurim broadcast on El Al flights—to eventually assume the mantle of the Tolna dynasty. Since his grandfather was close with many Chassidish Rebbes and holy men in Eretz Yisrael, the present Rebbe was exposed to much shimush (serving Torah scholars). These experiences, coupled with his fluent English, have contributed to his popularity.
Rebbetzin Gitel Weinberg was extremely proud of her children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren. Two years ago, when the Tolna Rebbe was invited to address the twelfth Siyum HasShas in London, she proudly revealed that he had to be matir neder (released from a vow) he had made never to leave Eretz Yisrael in order to attend the event.
Mother to All
Whoever met Rebbetzin Gitel came away with the glow of the Rebbetzin’s love. She was a selfless person who always thought of others. Hundreds of people who came to comfort her family during shiva expressed the same two thoughts: “The Rebbetzin’s face was always lit up with a beautiful smile” and “I could tell she really cared about me and was my best friend.”
It is not uncommon for daughters-in-law to have a strained relationship with their mothers-in-law. This was never the case for the Rebbetzin. Her daughters-in-law, Esther (Nemetsky) Weinberg (married to son Shloimie), claims that her close and loving relationship with her mother-in-law, as well as the other daughters-in-law, is indicative of what a wonderful person she was.
Gitel’s second daughter Chavie Levy lost her battle to cancer over ten years ago. When Gitel’s son-in-law decided to remarry a widow to help raise his children, Gitel and her husband called up the widow’s former in-laws who had lost a son and told them: “We both lost our children, but now our grandchildren are getting new parents to replace them. Let’s put our pain aside and be mesameach our in-law children.” They agreed and joined the entire Weinberg family in dancing joyfully with the new couple.
Rebbetzin Gitel became very close with the new wife of her former son-in-law; the couple would visit on a weekly basis, and all of the combined grandchildren—including two born to the new couple—were treated as the Weinbergs’ own. (One of those two babies was named Yochanan after Rebbetzin Gitel’s father.) In fact, when posters across the city announced the passing of Rebbetzin Weinberg, the Levy family was listed among the other children as mourners.
Now reunited with her daughter Chavie and her parents, there is no doubt that in the World of Truth, Rebbetzin Gitel is being mesameach everyone there with her eternal smile.
She is survived by her husband, sons Rabbi Yitzchok Menachem Weinberg (the Tolna Rebbe of Yerushalayim), Reb Leibie Weinberg, Reb Shloimie Weinberg, and Reb Motel Weinberg, and daughters Rifka Malkiel (whose son Amitai serves as the Tolna Rebbe of Ashdod) and Shira Graz.
Yehi Zichrah Baruch.
Pearl Herzog’s grandmother, Rebbetzin Sarah (Langner) Flam, was an older sister of Rebbetzin Gitel’s mother, Rebbetzin Pearl Twersky.