Mrs. Yuta Raisel o'h wife of R' Zachariyoh Menachem
Mendel Kaufman ylct'a one of the leading figures in
the Gateshead kehilloh, was buried last Thursday at
the age of 76.
She was born in Antwerp to Rav Shlomo Zalman Binyomin
Grossbard of Warsaw, who passed away while she was a young
girl. When Belgium was invaded by the Nazis, may their names
be blotted out, the family fled to England, escaping
miraculously and arriving in London. At the age of 14 Yuta
Raisel went out to work to support the family. London was
subject to heavy air raids and the authorities sent children
to safer areas, but she remained in the city, firmly refusing
to leave her widowed mother.
From her youth the pure education she received in her
parents' home was already discernible in her. During this
period there were no Bais Yaakov schools, but she exemplified
the modesty and conduct a bas Yisroel kesheiroh should
demonstrate. She soon gained a reputation both in her
immediate and extended family for her dedication to every
matter of kedushoh and emunas chachomim.
Upon marrying, she and her husband moved to Gateshead where
together they built a home of Torah, yiras Shomayim,
emunas chachomim, tzedokoh and
chesed.
Throughout the years she stood by her husband's side and
together they aspired to raise their children to lives of
dedication to Torah and kedushoh. Through chasdei
Hashem, they eventually did merit sons toiling in Torah
and daughters married to outstanding talmidei
chachomim, as well as grandchildren and great-
grandchildren walking the path leading to Beis
Hashem.
All her life she was very careful to adhere to high standards
of modesty in her speech, her conduct and her attire -- and
even as she lay on her deathbed in the hospital.
One year ago she grew very ill, at which time her inner
strength came to light. Her entire family was astounded by
her conduct during the past year as she girded the last of
her strength to run her home and life as usual to spare her
husband and children from grief.
During the last week of her life, while lying in a hospital
bed, she maintained her habit of thanking everyone for even
the smallest kindness. Even when her strength had dissipated
she was careful to thank the non-Jewish nurses taking care of
her, telling her children standing at her bedside that this
is required of Jews.
On the 6th of Elul, with her entire family on hand, she
returned her pure soul to her Maker.
At the levaya that set out from Gateshead she was
eulogized by HaRav Zeev Cohen, rosh yeshiva at
Gateshead Yeshiva; her brother-in-law Rav Chaim Kaufman, rosh
yeshivas Tiferes Yaakov of Gateshead; HaRav Mordechai Yosef
Karnovsky, the mashgiach of the Yeshiva Gedoloh of
Gateshead; her son-in-law Rav Avrohom Sonschein, a ram
at Yeshivas Lev Simchoh in London; and her son Rav Chaim
Shlomo Kaufman. All of them praised her modesty and powerful
emunoh.
From there the procession continued to London, where a
hesped was delivered by Dayan HaRav Aharon Dovid
Dunner.
At the large levaya held in Jerusalem the deceased was
eulogized by the Gavad of the Eida Chareidis, HaRav Yitzchok
Tuvioh Weiss, who spoke of her noble virtues and her loyalty
as an eishes chayil to her husband; her son Rav Chaim
Shlomo Kaufman; her son-in-law Rav Dovid Zimmerman; and her
son-in-law Rav Tzvi Stern, rosh kollel Betzeil
Hachochmoh.
At Har Hamenuchos Cemetery she was eulogized by HaRav Tzvi
Rotberg, rosh yeshivas Beis Meir, and HaRav Y.M. Rosenbaum,
rosh yeshivas Gur in London.
Mrs. Yuta Raisel Kaufman o'h is survived by her
husband, R' Zachariyoh Menachem Mendel Kaufman; her sons Rav
Chaim Shlomo and Rav Yosef, avreichim chashuvim at
Kollel Ponevezh; her sons Rav Moshe and Rav Shimon, important
members of the Gateshead kehilloh; her daughters
married to Rav Zimmerman, an avreich choshuv in Bnei
Brak, Rav Tzvi Stern, Rav Avrohom Sonschein, Rav Aharon Chaim
Fuller and Rav Dovid Chaim Katz, avreichim chashuvim
in London; and upstanding grandchildren and great-
grandchildren following in the path of Torah.
