The Torah community all around the world, and especially in
London, was saddened to hear of the passing of Rebbetzin
Nechomoh Gittel Siemiatycki, o"h, on Shabbos
parshas Tetzaveh. The levaya was in
Yerushalayim on the night of Shushan Purim.
Rebbetzin Siemiatycki was the daughter of HaRav Moshe
Schneider zt"l, the founder and rosh yeshiva of
Yeshivas Toras Emes in London, and previously rosh yeshiva in
Frankfurt and Memel.
She was born in 1917. In 1941 she married R' Zeidel
Siemiatycki, one of the leading bochurim of the Mir
Yeshiva who had already been famous before the war and wound
up stranded in London. They were married only 14 years when
her husband passed away.
For almost half a century she raised her family and thousands
of talmidos, as well as dozens of families. Throughout
her long career, she never took money for teaching.
It was on the way to say a shiur on Monday 8 Adar that
she had a brain hemorrhage. She lay in the hospital until
passing away on Shabbos morning parshas Tetzaveh at
7:40.
The mourning notices in the streets of Yerushalayim contained
a concise, poignant description. Following is a free
translation: "We are full of tza'ar at the passing of
our mother, ateres mishpachteinu. Botach boh leiv
ba'aloh. She stood at his side supporting his great
achievements in harbotzas Torah and for Klal
Yisroel generally. After his passing she continued, with
oz, to raise her children to Torah and te'udoh.
Piho poschoh bechochmoh veSoras chessed al leshonoh. Her
great love for Torah was a wonder to all who saw her. She
infused yiras Shomayim into the hearts of her many
students, and under her influence, many homes full of Torah
and yiras Shomayim were set up.
"Her home was open literally to everyone [from gedolei
olom to the simplest Jew]. She made tremendous and
successful efforts to revive and to encourage the heart of
every broken and oppressed person. She was mekadeish Shem
Shomayim in all her ways."
