We regret to inform you of the Petira of Ha’isha Hachashuva Chaya Raizel Sonnenzon A”H – the Tzadekes of Lakewood – after a long illness. Her levaya will be at 10:30AM Tuesday morning at BMG. The Kevura will take place in Eretz Yisroel. Boruch Dayan Emmes….
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Baruch Dayan Emmes.
I have not heard of this woman before. Can someone tell me who she was and how she was zocheh to a BMG levaya?
She was a wonderful person, she lost her husband about 15 years ago, who was a true tzaddik. She was mekabel her tremendous yesurim b’ahavah. Her daughter just got married a few weeks ago and B”H she was able to attend the wedding! She was a real Isha Chashuva and always had a smile on her face and a good word to say to everyone. May she be a Maylitz Yosher for her family and all of Klal Yisroel.
Her familly lived next door to BMG for many years. Her husband was with the yeshiva Kollel from the early 60’s before his passing in 1996. She worked in the yeshiva administration for many years. She also ran the local womans mikvah in town from its begining.last year on Rosh Hashana and Yom Kippur there were notes on every persons lectern asking for tfillos on her behalf.
At her daughter’s wedding three weeks ago, Rabbi Mattisyahu Solomon spoke to the crowd and compared Mrs. Sonenzon to Yosef HaTzaddik.
She was a very special, optimistic person and one of the building blocks of Lakewood.
HOW OLD WAS SHE?
What a very special isha tzidkonis she was! She ran the mikvah so efficiently, discreetly, with tznius and seichel tov. Her life was truly fraught with nisyonos; she underwent major yissurim, yet her bitachon remained with her. May the neshamos of Rabbi and Mrs. Sonnenzon, z”l, bask in nachas from the wonderful mishpacha they produced. Hamakom y’nachem.
She was probably around 57.
Everyone is saying that she was a Tzadekes and though it’s tempting to indulge in a full blown hesped I will only add that she’s not one of these people who became a tzadekes because she was niftar – all who knew her during her life considered her a tzadekes. Also, many “tzadikim” – you can’t help wondering if they’re tzadikim at home also. She was.
She once told me about the early kollel years when there were times that she didn’t have a quarter for the washing machine and so waited till the next week to do laundry.
She was the original “osah r’tzon ba’alah”.
Last time I saw her I could tell she was in pain. I begged her to kvetch ’cause I couldn’t bear to know that she was suffering silently and “alone”. “Complain?” she said “I have nothing to complain about. Yissurim are good for you. I don’t have a clean slate so if this helps clean things up a little for me I’m thankful to the aibishter”. This was not a speech about theoretical yissurim by some teacher in a classroom. This was b’shaas ma’aseh. “Besides,” she said, “I never understood when people say ‘why me?’ I say ‘why not me? Why am I better than anyone else that I should pattur from tzaros?'”
Boruch Dayan Ha’ames! If we would all shed a tear because of the passing of this Isha Kesharah, it would help bring Moshiach closer.
a real eisha chashuva who was mikabel yessurim with emunah and bitachon
her son recently has a heart attak (some time ago) does anyone know his condition?
she had a sign that read
“don’t tell hashem how big your problems are -tell you problems how big hashem is
#10 – her son needs a lot of tefillos, although he has physically recovered
Avraham Nachman Shabsi ben Chaya Raizel
She was 58 – bigematria ‘chein’…
Based on the size of crowd that came to kevura in EY which took place at 1:00 PM (when hadlakas neiros was 5:00) one knew that this was a very special woman, so many were touched by her warmth and happiness that were evident at all times. She will be sorely missed by all, especially by her close family.