On October 25, 2020, the Jewish landscape in Baltimore was forever changed with the loss of an irreplaceable community leader, role model, and icon, Mrs. Hannah Storch, a”h.  The Storch Family and Women’s Institute of Torah (WIT) invite all women to join us for the first yahrzeit lecture in honor of Mrs. Hannah Storch, a”h, on October 12^th, 2021, at 7:30pm. The free livestreamed lecture will be available on ChesedFund.com, BaltimoreJewish Life.com, Matzav.com, TheYeshivaWorld.com, and Vinnews.com. A call-in option will also be available. Call 301-715-8592 and enter 2653954291#.     Israel’s popular speaker, Rabbanit Yemima Mizrachi will be discussing, “The Hidden Power of a Woman.” 

Mrs. Storch was born in 1922, in Atlanta, Georgia, to Rav Avraham Pesach and Frieda K. Hirmes, a”h. Her father, who had learned in the Slobodka Yeshiva, and her mother, in her capacity as a Rebbetzin, imbued her with a dedication to a Torah lifestyle. After attending New York University and Johns Hopkins University’s McCoy College, she married M. Leo Storch in 1954, and so the illustrious legacy of the Storch family began. 

As a true ezer knegdo, and as a chesed power couple, Mr. and Mrs. Storch worked together in myriad acts of gemilas chasadim. Beyond their role in the original purchase of the Greenspring property for Bais Yaakov of Baltimore, their home was always open to meshulachim, and anyone who entered was treated with warmth and respect. Their home was also graced with visits from gedolei hador, including Reb Moshe Feinstein, zt”l, Rav Yaakov Kamenetsky, zt”l, the Ponevezher Rav, zt”l, Rabbi Yaakov Yitzchok Ruderman, zt”l, the Skulener Rebbe, zt”l, and Rav Ovadia Yosef, zt”l.       

Mr. Storch’s untimely passing in 1972 left her as a young almanah with three children, yet her unwavering support of her husband’s selfless devotion to the community and to the growth of Torah and yiddishkeit remained steadfast. She gracefully stepped into her husband’s professional role as a real estate developer, with the help of her brother Eli Hirmes, and even expanded her family’s investment in developing Jewish communal organizations in Baltimore and beyond. For 48 years, she worked tirelessly to further his legacy.

To start, Mrs. Storch took over her husband’s critical role in creating the Vaad HaKashrus of Baltimore (Star-K). She helped establish the Etz Chaim Center and played an active role in growing its branches, The Rebbetzin Frieda K. Hirmes Women’s Institute of Torah (WIT); a Russian outreach program that developed into Achim; and a college outreach that became The Jewish Collegiate Network. She helped establish the Association of Jewish Outreach Programs (AJOP) as well as Jews for Judaism. She was also involved with many other organizations, including Ahavas Yisroel of Baltimore, Shoresh, The Associated, Hillel, NCSY, Bikur Cholim of Baltimore, and others. Notably, Mrs. Storch was one of the first to dedicate herself to the cause of the release of Jonathan Pollard, former intelligence analyst and American prisoner. She made many phone calls and wrote many letters to politicians championing the cause and encouraging others to do the same. Like her mother, an eloquent speaker and poet, Mrs. Storch was well-known for her thoughtful and insightful letters to others expressing appreciation for their actions or sharing visions for the growth of the klal.

HaRav Moshe Heinemann, shlit”a, remarked in his hesped that “her days were filled with mitzvos. …The chesed that went out from their home was remarkable – it was open to anyone who needed help. … Mrs. Storch was a unique type of person which we don’t see very often anymore. … She carried herself with a dignity, almost a royalty, and she treated everyone with respect and graciousness. She was wise in the world of business and ably ran the family business for many years, going downtown to the office daily. Besides the business, she was totally devoted to her family and to whatever she could do for Klal Yisrael.”

Despite her involvement in various meaningful organizations and causes, running a business, and raising her family on her own, Mrs. Storch still had an uncanny ability to make everyone she met feel like they were very special. Even further, she accomplished all this without seeking recognition and with the grace and modesty of a queen. She had an incredible presence everyone was drawn to, and she greeted everyone with a genuine smile. She was truly beloved and admired by all who knew her. 

She was always happiest when giving to others and raised her children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren in that same special way. She showed them how to make chesed the priority in their lives and taught by example. While attempting to further her husband’s legacy, Mrs. Storch actually created her own. At her levaya, HaRav Aharon Feldman, shlit”a, Rosh HaYeshiva, Ner Israel, stated, “She was the pride of Baltimore; the pride of Baltimore has left us.” Mrs. Hannah Storch, a”h, a majestic matriarch, who was a living kiddush hashem and true eishes chayil, is missed deeply by so many, and her influence will be felt for generations to come. May they all continue to follow in her beautiful legacy.