A TRUE AISHES CHAYIL

My maternal Bubby, Rebbetzin Chana Chaya Hene Blau, was born on the 4th of Adar, 5673 (1912) in the city of Telshe in Lithuania, to her parents Reb Meir Shmaryahu B”R Shimon Yaakov z”l Hy”d and Rochel B”R Yosef Calev a”h Hy”d.

Historical Background:

Before World War II, Lithuania represented one of the largest Jewish communities and centers of Jewish learning in the world. The thriving communities and various yeshivas attracted Jews from all over Europe. The Jews of Lithuania maintained an intense Jewish life. They spoke Yiddish amongst themselves and lived a Torah way of life. Torah learning flourished among wide circles and love of Torah and esteem for its study was widespread among the masses of Jews. Telshe was a city where the Yeshiva was in the center of the metropolis. The education of the girls was on a very high standard as well.

During the 1920’s the Jews were engaged in trade, industry, crafts and agriculture. My Bubby’s father was a wood merchant and was known for his extreme honesty not only in his dealing with Jews but with non-Jews as well. My Bubby’s mother was also an extremely pious woman who was not only Midakdek in Mitzvos but deliberately refrained from enjoying more than a minimal degree of Gashmius   in this world, to the extent, that she chose to eat only as much a she felt she needed for survival.

When my Bubby was a child, the government of Lithuania granted Jews autonomy, giving the Kehilla the right to impose taxes for their own budget for religious affairs, charity, and their own school system.  The educational system setup in Lithuania was one of the most important achievements of Jewish national autonomy. Teachers in the Jewish elementary schools who had teaching certificates approved by the ministry of education received their salaries from state funds in common with non-Jewish teachers in the state schools. There were three school systems:  The Zionist-oriented, the Yiddishist, and Yavneh, the religious traditional schools.  It was in this Yavneh school system that my Bubby worked as teacher and principal for ten years. She was a devoted Michaneches and also served as educator in the Bais Hayisomim.

When the Russians occupied Lithuania in June of 1940 they closed Yeshivos, restricted Jewish business, and started a wave of arrests.  A year later they deported many Jews to Siberia to work in heavy labor camps. Teaching Yiddishkeit under  the watchful eye of the Soviets required  tremendous Mesiras Nefesh as well as Bina Yisairoh to know what to say when the Russian inspectors came in to “visit” the classroom.

On Rosh Chodesh Tamuz, 1941 the Nazis entered Lithuania. After three terrible week of torture, on the 20th of Tamuz the Germans massacred the male population of the city of Telshe including my great grandfather. The woman and children were killed on the 7^th of Elul, 5701, my great grandmother among them. A glorious chapter in Jewish History came to an abrupt and tragic end.

Yet, through an amazing series of Nissim and Hashgacha Protis, my Bubby A”H along with yibodel l’chaim my Zaidy Shlita, escaped, and as a result I am B”H  here today.

My grandfather, Harav Ch. Moshe Yehudo Blau, was learning in the Mirrer Yeshiva in Poland from 1930 to 1939. When Germany invaded Poland in 1939, the Yeshiva students along with thousands of Jews fled to Vilna, which was now transferred  back to  Lithuania. At this time it was still a place of peace and prosperity.  The refugees tried to explain about the Jews being killed in Poland, but while the Jews in Lithuania were extremely generous and hospitable, they did not fully believe the extent of the Nazi Holocaust.

The Lithuanian haven did not last long. When the Communists invaded in June of 1940, it was already too late for the Lithuanian Jews to leave the country. Only Polish Jews, which included the Mirrer Yeshiva, would be allowed to leave if they   had travel documents.

It was at this time that my Zaidy Shlita, met by Bubby A”H and was extremely impressed with her Yiras Shomayim, Tznius and Midos Tovos. Her Kibbud Av V’aim was exemplary as she risked her government position to take off to care for her sick father. My Zaidy knew that when he gets to America he would not find a girl of her caliber, so under the most trying times, when the Russians had already occupied the country and taken over the schools, my Bubby had to secretly arrange to get married. Marrying a foreigner was considered a crime, as was taking off from work. Yet, once they were married, my Zaidy was able to put her on his passport as a spouse and thus she was fortunately able to escape a certain death and make her journey with the Yeshiva.

Another Nes occurred that Russia agreed to allow refugees from Poland, with whom it was at war, to travel through their country on transit visas if they had a destination. No country wanted the Jews.  They then discovered that the Dutch Island of Curacao in the Caribbean did not require formal entry visas. There was still one more obstacle; since they were passing through Japan, they would also need a transit visa from Japan.  By this time, however the Japanese consulate had already been moved to Moscow.

It was at this point that another Nes occurred, the Japanese officer of the consulate who had strict order to stop issuing visas, defied his government’s orders and issued hundreds of hand –written visas a day for an entire month, thus saving thousands of Jewish lives, among them my grandparents.

After receiving their visas, the refugees lost no time in getting on trains to Vladivostok. and from there, by boat to Kobe, Japan. They were allowed to stay in Kobe for nine months bus as the Japanese were planning the attack of Pearl Harbor they deported the Jews to Shanghai, China, in September of 1941. Thus, the entire Yeshiva and many others miraculously escaped the Holocaust.

The four years that my grandparents lived in Shanghai were filled with many hardships.. Sickness, poverty and death were seen everywhere.  The refugees had to stand on long lines for the meager portion of cooked food from the Jewish community kettle. Due to the circumstances, Rabbonim were matir Cholov Akum. Yet my Bubby was steadfast in her maintenance of the highest standards of Kashrus even if it meant that she would have to do without milk, which was an important staple in the ghetto. Considering that she was feeling sick and weak most of the time due to her intolerance of the oppressively hot, and humid climate, this was no small feat.

Through all the hardships in the Shanghai ghetto the Yeshiva community continued to learn with great diligence. But in the evening, the men each went home to their wives to provide them with a feeling of security and family. My Bubby, however, willingly allowed her husband to stay in the Yeshiva till late in the night, while she sat home or in the shelters alone with two infants and with the frightening  bombs falling overhead. Her Mesiras Nefesh for Torah knew no bounds and continued throughout her married life in America as well. “How do women merit [a portion in Olam Haboh]? They wait for their husbands to come home from the Beis Hamedrash…(Brochos 17) My Bubby fulfilled this to a very high degree. She bravely shouldered the full burden of running their home. Throughout the years, she willing allowed and encouraged my Zaidy to spend hours and hours everyday learning, even if it meant that she waited hours even on Friday night for him to come home from Shul, because that’s when it was more conducive for my Zaidy to concentrate.

When the war was over, and my grandparents arrived in America, their first stop was at the home of Bubby’s sister, the Hodakovs. It was then that my grandparents were introduced to Lubavitch and the Frierdiker Rebbe. Although Bubby came from a city which was known for Misnagdim, [she said that she never even saw a Chosid when she grew up], nevertheless she became totally Mikusher to the Rebbe with a very strong Emunah which affected her to the degree that she physically felt an immediate relief when she was told that the Rebbe with a wave of his hand indicated that her illness was insignificant.

“Chochmas Nashim Bonsa Baisa”. Although Bubby was an unusually perceptive and wise woman with and exceptional depth of understand, yet her Anava and Bitul was equally impressive and she would always ask the advice of her Mashpia before every decision.  Her Bina Yisaira and her ability to be Mevater were keys in her being a Rodef Shalom. She would never wait for the other person to apologize, but for the sake of Shalom would look away from her own Kovod.

“Kol Kevuda Bas Melech Pinima”. Bubby was a private person whose Tzinius extended not only in dress, but in her whole mannerism. She always did all the work in the background so that her husband and children should succeed, never looking for any recognition for herself. She was involved in every aspect of my Zaidy’s work in publishing Kisvei Yad of Rishonim, from advice about which manuscript to print next to dealing with printers, binders and finances. She was an “Aizer Kinegdo” in the fullest sense of the word. Zaidy’s activities in spreading his Sforim and in lecturing throughout the United States on the Inyan of Mezuza, took him away from home for weeks and sometimes three months at a time. Bubby willingly stayed home alone with the children so that her husband could be involved in Hafotzas Hayahadus. She worked for days beforehand preparing condensed peklach of food for the long trip, which were packed in dry ice. Her devotion knew no bounds.

She herself was always Mistapek B’muet, being content with hand-me-down clothing and used furniture, but was always encouraging and involved in the distribution of Tzedaka with a generous hand.

Bubby tried to do every Mitzva B’salchlis Hashlaimus and with Hidur Mitzvah. This was seen in Kashrus, Shabbos, Yomim Tovim and in Chinuch of the children without Pshorus, without compromises.  The Zehirus from Chometz and the Hachonos to Pesach were carried out with unusual meticulousness.  Tosfos Shabbos and Hidur in Oneg Shabbos were a priority. In being Mechanech her children in the 1950’s in America she wasn’t afraid to set high standards. In the years before an abundance of Mehudardike nash and Cholov Yisroel were taken for granted. Her children did not go to public libraries even though there were practically no English Judaic books available. When movies were still ‘pareve’ she was strong enough to set the standard that we don’t watch, even if the movie is brought into camp. Her Chinuch was so powerful that her children did not feel in any way deprived but rather felt proud of the fact that we are different and hold by a higher standard. Her goal was to have children who learn and go in the way of Torah and B”H she has succeeded.

Even in the last days of her life when she was terminally ill in the hospital, her strength of commitment to avoid compromises was manifest when she repeatedly declined offers of her husband, my Zaidy Shlita, to come to visit because she knew that as a Kohen he was very Makpid not to enter a hospital unless it was absolutely essential. On the 13^th of Kislev she returned her holy Neshama to her Maker. May we be Zoche to see her very soon with the Hisgalus of Moshiach Now!

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The name Chana as is well known is an acronym for the three Mitzvos of the woman. It was a name that was added when she was sick, after the Rebbetzin Chana. Chaya represents life which was the Lebedikeit and enthusiasm with which she performed Mitzvos.