By a granddaughter
Behind every great man, they say, stands a great woman. One such woman was Rebbetzin Esther Golda Shemtov – lovingly know to us as our Bubbe Goldie.
She was a great woman in her own right. A regal woman. An intelligent woman. And a woman who made unexpected choices.
In the early 1900’s she was raised by her widowed mother, Mariasha Futerfas a”h, in the big city of Kharkov. It was a challenge to raise young Esther Golda, as all the educational options available for Jewish girls were not designed to strengthen one’s Yiras Shamayim, to say the least. Nevertheless, they had to stay there to ensure the family’s livelihood.
Every year, young Golda would travel with her widowed mother to Lubavitch to visit with Rebbetzin Rivkah Schneersohn, wife of the Rebbe Maharash. (Bubbe Mariasha had developed a close relationship with Rebbetzin Rivkah through her mother Rochel Leah Segelovitch.) These visits were very important to this young girl growing up under these trying circumstances
On one such visit, when she was just 8-9 years old, the conversation turned to the bochurim who learned in the Yeshiva in Lubavitch. Coming from the big city of Kharkov the difference between the impoverished boys in the yeshiva and the young men in Kharkov was stark and clear.
The Rebbetzin asked the young girl, “When you grow up, do you think you’ll want to marry such a boy?”
Young Esther Golda responded, “Yes. But I know that when I grow up I won’t want to marry such a boy and this makes me cry.”
Rebbetzin Rivkah stood up from her chair, came over to the child, put her hands on the child’s head and said “I give you a bracha that you will want to marry a chossid and you do not need to cry.”
Many years passed, and true to the bracha that she received from Rebbetzin Rivka, Esther Golda, in spite of being exposed to the cultural environment in Kharkov during her childhood, chose Reb Bentzion Shemtov as her husband.
He had stopped in Kharkov, on his way to a four year exile to Siberia. It was during this stop over that Esther Golda Futerfas and R’ Bentzion Shemtov were engaged to be married after the completion of his exile.
Close to 4 years later, Esther Golda took a one week trip to Siberia to stand under the chupah. She was completely on her own. The guest list was made up of other people in exile. Her wedding ring was made from a silver spoon that our grandfather had somehow procured. The occasion was joyous – in spite of the extenuating circumstances.
For the next 30 trying years, she stood staunchly by her husband’s side in support of his Mesirus nefesh and dedicated work as a shliach of the Frierdiker Rebbe in Russia and then a shliach of our Rebbe whom he met in Paris in 1947.
Upon her arrival to the UK she taught herself English and wrote two books for children “Mindy Gets Her Reward and “Short Plays for Jewish Children.” These books were published by Kehot long before it was popular to write children’s books with Jewish content.
Most of us in the second generation never got to know her. Unfortunately after a brief illness, she passed away at the young age of 60 on 23 Cheshvan, 50 years ago. Yet, her legacy lives on through the family she left behind.
There were five granddaughters named after her. Many more great grandchildren carry her name too. Together, we are committed to promoting her legacy and to continue making the choices that she has inspired us to make.
Determination:
Lyrics to a song written by a great-grand daughter
The storm winds blowing
No force can derail her
Her heart and mind scream Siberia
Destined to wed
Now a prisoner instead
Resistance of faith
She’ll follow him there
The vow to cherish
From now on forever
A silver spoon marks the covenant
The ring that was made
A link in the chain
Ensuring the bond must remain
I stand here today
Ever strong in my ways
Alight with your flame
Yes I carry your name
Your passion received
Now reflected through me
Empowered and fearless
I’ll take on the world
For soon I’ll be grown
And embark on my own
Your values I’ll hold
Through the stories I’m told
Noble with pride
All odds you defied
Your strength and your valor
Will serve as my guide
Winds still blowing
So fiercely they beckon
Stand firm, the force won’t derail me
Living with pride
Despite the outside
The threats, oh so different
Their message the same
The call demanding
A proud Jewish woman
Your sacrifice does encourage me
The challenge so great
Infused with your strength
Continue my link in the chain
I stand here today
Ever strong in my ways
Alight with your flame
Yes I carry your name
Your passion received
Now reflected through me
Empowered and fearless
I’ll take on the world
For soon I’ll be grown
And embark on my own
Your values I’ll hold
Through the stories I’m told
Noble with pride
All odds you defied
Your strength and your valor
Will serve as my guide
where is it
thank you
My family have special warm memories of Rabbi and Rebbetzin Shemtov and the Mesiras Nefesh they had for Chinuch of young children in London.
It is due to their tireless efforts that Lubavitch UK shines today.
The first person to be named ofter rebitzen shemtov was born on the day she was nifter exactly 50 years ago, from the Solomon family in London England (her last name now is Gitlin)
without mentioning names, think of any of the big chasidim of that generation an none have children who have done anything special (at least in public). R’ Bentzion produced generations of children and einiklach who have been at the forefront of many important things.
What can we all learn from this? Not sure
I’m not a descendent of this remarkable woman but I have heard many stories of Ch’siddisheh women in Communist Russia; women like Bubbeh Golda who, no less than their husbands, were among the giants whose shoulders we stand on today,The Rebbe never differentiated between the mesirus nefesh of our women of yesteryear and the mesirus nefesh of their husbands. To comment #13, your hiskashrus to the Rebbe will only be strengthened, not weakened, by living with the stories of your illustrious zaidehs and bubbehs. Ultimately, they drew the strength for their mesirus nefesh from our Rabbayim, did they not?
Amazing mesiras nefesh and dedication.
beautiful
I’ve got the music. Will be happy to send it to you. Email me at Goldie@chabadhk,org.
Does anyone know where all the Esther Goldas live today? I know many girls named after her, who are not even related. They too are on Shlichus today
What is the tune to this beautiful lyrics?
what a powerful article a true energy booster for all…
who wrote artical and song?
Thank you!!
Thank You dear cousin for thèse beautiful and hartzike words. I am an Easter Goldie too. I have been told by so many people that I resemble her in many ways….growing up as a young child,that was the ultimate compliment. Now as a shlucha, with my own children on shlichus , she is a hiding force in my “every day” shlichus. I can’t count how many times a day her picture and meaasage pass my mind and are reflected in my actions, my hiskashrus and my life. I do hope that a shemtov somewhere takes up the challenge and prints… Read more »
You are right. This is not a replica as we don’t know how the ring was made nor what it looked like. It was made (out of an actual teaspoon) for a great grand daughters bas mitzvah to remember this story and to pass it on. Hope this clarifies
why don’t the shemtovs write a book about these great chasidim
I don’t think that counts for all of your family branches. I happen to know a number of cousins of yours, from various branches, all of whom have pictures of their inspiring ancestors. Perhaps go check out your second cousins and their grand parents…
#13 I am a grandchild and I have a picture of Bubbe Esther Golda and Zaide Bentzion on my wall and so do my-in-laws…this forum was to share our grandmothers legacy…….her strengths…kindness and commitment to Chabad Lubavitch and Yiddishikeit…….don’t cheapen it with innuendos and disparaging remarks that are not true (or maybe is just for you it is) Thank you to the grandchild who took the time to share this and remind us of our heritage…i am the proud mother of an Esther Golda and Bentzion who definitely emulate their namesakes!
Obviously I am very proud of my elter bubbie. One of the paradoxes of being a chasidisher family which stresses hiskashrus is that our family hardly ever talks about our great grandparents. Othe friends of mine who are einiklach of other chasidim have pictures of their grandfathers hanging in their homes. I never saw a picture of my elter zayde in any of the homes of a zaydey, uncles aunts and even cousins. On one hand, i think that it is a shame that we dont take inspiration from the roots of which we came. I know that i would… Read more »
GREAT STORY AND AN EXAMPLE TO US ALL IN OUR GENERATION!!!
WE HOPE THAT ALL THE FOLLOWING GENERATIONS OF ALL SUCH ANCESTORS WHO LIVED WITH REAL MESIRUS NEFESH, WILL FOLLOW IN THEIR FOOTSTEPS SO THEIR EFFORTS WILL NOT BE IN VAIN.
THANK YOU FOR SUCH A BEAUTIFUL AND INSPIRING ARTICLE!
I never met her, but I grew up hearing about the kindness of “the moome Golde”, and reading her stories and plays which reflected her own values. TNTzBH
Her son yisroel looks just like her
We grew up with that precious book of short plays and I was probably in a show in almost every play.My favourite was To Lose.. May Find.Stories are still relevant and can be used as a text book in Limmudei Chol – for history, english, drama etc. although the text is completely Kodesh Can you still buy it?
Thank you
Thank you. That was very deep and really touched me.
Difficult to fathom how she was able to come from such hardship and build thriving generations. Imagine , going to Siberia to get married !
May her neshama have an aliya and zal zein a guta betta for her family amongst klal yisroel.
thank you.
This is important for me to read. Thank you for sharing, am Yisroel chai!
How on earth would you know that that is a “replica”. He most probably took a silver spoon and MELTED it down and had it reshaped as a ring. You have to be very careful when telling over stories to be as close to the truth as possible, Otherwise no one will end up believing anything.
A cousin.
Important for us to have some insights into the foundations upon which an empire was built.She was a fore-runner of the current Shlulchim system which is Boruch Hashem thriving throughout the world. I can imagine her sitting ‘upstairs’ watching with nachas all the Shluchim doing their work
To my cousin (wherever and whoever you are)
Thank you
I carry her blood that she gave for my survival,when she
Didn’t even have a slice of bread to eat in Tashkent,in the
Very early 40th.a great woman that lived her life for others
Never wanting anything for herself.my love for her will stay
with me forever,I am so very proud of the Goldes in the
world.May her memory be a blessing for all who follow in
her ways,even the ones who just hear of her good midot
My love for her is eternal.Nechama Serebryanski,Werdiger