Last Motzei Shabbos, the Jewish world lost one of its finest people, with the passing of the Tzadeikes Mrs. Rivka (Riva) Morgenstern, after a long illness. Mrs. Morgenstern, a Holocaust survivor was born in 1919 in Kovno, Lithuania to her illustrious parents. Her father, Harav Noson Yaakov Berkovitz, renowned as an Ilui in the Slabodka yeshiva, was a Rosh Yeshiva in Tiferes Bochurim in Salant.

She was raised in the city of Salant, and throughout her life- and throughout the holocaust- held on to the holiness that was imbued in her by her parents during her young years in this famous metropolis of Torah and Mussar.

During the war the Nazis Y”MSh gave her a Chassidishe Kapote to wear. Though she was born into and raised by a Litvishe family, she was destined to have Chassidishe Eineklech amongst her descendants!

After the war, she was liberated to a DP camp in Sweden, where she was chosen to be secretary to R’ Binyomin Zev Yaakovson, leader of the Va’ad Hatzolah efforts in Sweden, because she spoke and wrote excellent Hebrew. It was there that she met and married her esteemed husband, Rav Elozor Ahron Morgenstern, and had their first child.

From Sweden they moved to the USA and settled in the lower East side and started a successful textile business. She was moser nefesh all her years to have her children follow in the path of Hashem, and indeed they all ended up in the finest Yeshivos in America and in Eretz Yisroel. Every word that she uttered was calm and thought through. She always had a kind word for everyone that crossed her path, and was never heard uttering a word of Lashon Hora!

In 1983, upon the advice of the Lev Simcha of Gur zy”a, they moved to Bnei Brak. Over the years, many of her grandchildren merited to marry into very illustrious families in Klal Yisroel. Among her Mechutanim are the current  Gerrer Rebbe shlita, as well as the previous Rebbes, the Imrei Emes and the Pnei Menachem, the Lubliner Rebbe of Bnei Brak. Rav Yeruchom Levovitz of Mir and Rav Eliyahu Eliezer Dessler, zichronam L’Vracha.

Mrs. Riva Morgenstern A”H is survived by her son, R’ Pesach Morgenstern of Chaifa, and three daughters, Mrs Deena Levovitz, wife of Rav Yeruchom Levovitz, Rebbetzin Chaya Eiger, wife of Rav Ezriel Meir Eiger, and Mrs Micky Morgenstern- Resnick, wife of Mr. Jeff Resnick. Her son, Rav Hershel Morgenstern zt”l a driving force in the Gur community of Chatzor and Bnei Brak passed away a few years ago, and left behind a wonderful wife and family.

Her legacy will forever live on in the lives of her children and over 200 grandchildren and great-granchildren in America and in Eretz Yisroel, all who are Shomrei Torah U’Mitzvos.  She was laid to her final rest near her husband in the Bais HaChaim Kiryas Shaul.

Tehei Zichra Boruch!

(By: L. Halevi)