By COLlive reporter
Mrs. Guta Schapiro, a matriarch of a large Chabad family who lived through the many hardships of the Soviet Union, passed away on Friday, Beis Nisan, the 100th yartzeit of the Rebbe Rashab.
She was 99.
Mrs. Schapiro was born in the small-town Simyonvke in Russia. Her father was the famed chossid R’ Peretz Mochkin.
While living the oppressive Communist regime, she toiled in helping her father and husband support yeshivas and would carry the food from miles away to bring it to the only Sukkah in St. Petersburg.
She got married Rabbi Levi Yitzchok Schapiro in Leningrad shortly before the German blockade in 1941. They then escaped to Tashkent and left Russia with the family in 1946. She carried the warmth and mesiras nefesh of the Chabad chassidim in Russia all her life and shared it with everyone who knew her.
After the war, she and her husband lived in France for a few years, until the Rebbe told them to move to the US.
They came to America in 1953 and raised a beautiful family in Cleveland, Ohio. In 1963, the family moved to Crown Heights.
Today, many of her children and grandchildren are Shluchim of the Rebbe all over the world.
She had rich memories to share of life in Russia. She will be remembered for her great memory and wit, devoted mother and beloved grandmother.
She is survived by her children Mrs. Raizel Schreiber – Bal Harbour, Florida; Mrs. Chiena Lazaroff – Houston, Texas; Rabbi Nachman Schapiro – Crown Heights; Mrs. Fradel Mishulovin – Crown Heights; Mrs. Shterna Sara Krinsky – Crown Heights; Mrs. Hindy Gurwitz – Crown Heights; Rabbi Nochum Schapiro – Sydney, Australia; grandchildren and great-grandchildren.
She is survived by her brother Rabbi Berel Mochkin – Montreal, Canada.
Baruch dayan haemes.
We knew and know the families for almost a hundred years and were able to help and support each others vie ayn mishpocho. Ayn milim ma lhagid vhabo likvuro ervev shabbos achar chatzos gedenkt men vos der rebeh hot gezogt Shlome zalmen Hecht’s vayb mit fertzig yohr tzurig…….zol zayn a maylitzo toivo far alemen
My heart goes out to all of her children and grandchildren. she had a beautiful soul and the people she touched everywhere she went throughout her life will remember her as a tzadeikis who always had another person in mind. may her neshama have a tremendous aliyah and may moshiach come right now!
These are the faces of my life I saw in my childhood which I will always remember lovingly
She was a lovely lady. She will be missed.
Baruch dayan haemes.
I will never forgot the love and ahavas yisrol that she, together with her older brothers a”h had.
May her neshmah have an Aliya.
Our bubby was a regal matriarch who was zoche to see great-great grandchildren and she knew them all by name! Even when she wasn’t feeling well, she ensured that the cookie jar was full for the great-grandchildren and great-great-grandchildren. Her hachnosas orchim together with Zaidy z”l was legendary and many bochurim based through her home. Even in her later years, bochurim slept in her living room over Tishrei.We will miss her terribly. May she be a gutte better for us all and may we be zoche to see the time when הקיצו ורננו שוכני עפר והיא בתוכם בהתגלות מלכנו משיחנו… Read more »
I was one of the many recipients of their hachnosas orchim…. such a warm house…..(and always huge portions. “Host noch gornisht gegesn”…)
she maintained her dignity and humor and warmth into her old age.
She will be missed
Her great grandchildren are also Shluchim – Chabad of RARA in Australia to name some.