By Rabbi Yair Hoffman for 5tjt.com

Today is the third yartzeit of Mrs. Miriam Kayla Adler a”h, a remarkable teacher, mother, and extraordinary baalas chesed.

Morah Adler a”h cared deeply about klal yisroel and not only yearned for nechamos and yeshuos, but also encouraged practical solutions to help regular members of Klal Yisroel.  She imbued her talmidos with true yiras shamayim and ahavas Yisroel in TAG High School, where she taught Chumash Dvarim, Navi and Historiah.

Morah Adler taught with great passion.  In Dvarim, she taught about Moshe Rabbeinu’s love for Klal Yisroel and exactly how to give Mussar – to do so with great love and in a manner designed to grow the person in ruchniyus.

In her Navi class she imbued her talmidos with a true desire to rebuild the Beis HaMikdash and to daven for not only its rebuilding, but also in the restoration of the ten shvatim that were lost in Ashur.  She pointed out how Yirmiyahu HaNavi spoke to the remnants of Yisroel and to Yehudah that they should once again reunite and set aside their differences.  Her talmidos fondly recollected how she explained, “Ko amar Hashem zacharti lach chessed ne’urayich – lechtaich acharay bamidbar b’eretz lo zaruah.”  They fondly recall how she explained that Yirmiyahu HaNavi used these words to build up Klal Yisroel and to inspire them to do the necessary teshuvah.

Morah Adler explained to her talmidos how Yirmiyahu had such a difficult life, and she taught them to empathise – not only with Yirmiyahu but also with others.  She was a role model of role models.  She was also a remarkable baalas tznius and inspired her students to adopt this midah.  She did so in a quiet unassuming manner, and all of her talmidos saw this within her.

She taught historiah with great passion, not just teaching facts and dates, but using it as an opportunity to imbue her talmidos with a sense of their history, identifying with the Torah nation.  She taught of great Torah personalities who exemplified great mesiras nefesh – a mesiras nefesh for Klal Yisroel.

Morah Adler was concerned for each of her students, as well as each and every member of Klal Yisroel.  She had a special place in her heart for children from struggling families.  Her students observed these qualities in her and counted themselves extremely lucky to be in her midst.

One student said, “Everything Morah Adler a”h taught – she lived by as well.  She practiced what she preached (but she never preached, so to speak) and beyond.”

Clearly, Morah Adler left an indelible mark upon her charges.  Prior to teaching at Machon Sarah Torah Academy for Girls High School, she taught at Breuers in Washington Heights.  She left a similar impact on her students there as well.

Morah Adler was so passionate about supporting Torah that she and her daughters built the Sukkah each year, saying, “I would rather have my husband learning Torah and this is my contribution.”  Her husband participated actively in the Dirshu program and would attend the shiur of Reb Dovid Feinstein zt”l every Sunday.  She was a devoted wife to Rabbi Menachem Adler, yb’l, and was a true eizer k’negdo, she encouraged her husband in his learning and was proud of his participation in the Dirshu program. Her favorite role, however, was as an aim b’yisroel to her daughters, Chaya Shira, Leah, and Esther.

Her home overflowed with passion, love, and chesed, aside from a remarkable commitment to Torah.  She once no longer needed a freezer and gave it away to a chinuch family who needed it.  These were maasim bechol yom.  She leaves a double legacy – one to her talmidos who were so inspired by her and the other a remarkable family who merited to live with such an inspiring tzadeikes.

The author can be reached at [email protected]