Mrs. Gita Ceitlin, 88, OBM

By COLlive reporter

Mrs. Gita Ceitlin, widow of a chossid and activist who was from the first families to build the Chabad community in Montreal, passed away on Shabbos morning, 21 Kislev 5772.

She was 88.

She was born to R’ Yechiel Yosef Rivkin and his wife Sheina (nee Azimov) and was raised through the many hardships that life in Russia posed for chassidic Jews, living in Kremenchuk, Klimovich, Homil, Yegurvsk (near Moscow), Tashkent, Levuv and Poland.

A resourceful businessman, R’ Yechiel Yosef raised her and her siblings Mrs. Freida Levin (today in Kfar Chabad), R’ Hirshel Rivkin OBM, R’ Zusha Rivkin (Kfar Chabad), Mrs. Risha Rochel Reichman OBM and R’ Chaim Rivkin OBM, with a strong love and care for Yiddishkeit.

While being arrested for suspicion on possessing gold, R’ Yechiel Yosef bravely resisted the Communists cutting off his beard. “Cut my head off first,” were his immortal words which scared them off.

The Rivkin family later immigrated to Israel, after escaping to Paris and living there for 2 years. It was there where Gita married R’ Yehuda Leib (Leibel) Ceitlin, one of the two sons of the known chossid and activist R’ Aaron Eliezer Ceitlin HY”D.

R’ Leibel and Gita arrived in Montreal, Canada, after the 9 Shluchim of the Frierdiker Rebbe worked to strengthen the Jewish community there and built Yeshivas Tomchei Tmimim – Rabbinical College of Canada.

But as the boys’ education was cared for, R’ Leibel wanted the same for his daughters, and opened a class which became the basis of Beth Rivkah Academy of Montreal, a large Chabad girls school.

Mrs. Ceitlin was supportive of her husband’s charitable activities and his iconic chassidic lifestyle which included hours long farbrengens every Shabbos with fellow chassidim the city was blessed with and members of the community. Bochurim always knew his home was an address for any of their needs.

She was particularly active in the immigrant community from the former Soviet Union, helping them settle and integrate and offering caring guidance and sound advice.

In addition, she was the propeller behind Free Hebrew For Juniors, a unique organization that offers Jewish educational classes and programs at public schools across the city of Montreal, run by her daughter and son in law.

She is survived by her children Chaya Sarah Marozov, Sima Paris, Rochel Lison, Rabbi Aaron Eliezer Ceitlin, Rabbi Yechiel Yosef Ceitlin – all of Montreal, and Freidi Kesselman – Oak Park, MI; many grandchildren and great grandchildren.

The levaya will take place Sunday, leaving from Chesed Shel Emes at 12 noon.

The family will be sitting shiva at the Marozov residence at 4710 Carlton Avenue, Montreal. Shacharis at 8:15 and 9:15 and mincha 3:45 and 4pm. Maariv both minyanim at 4:45pm.

Baruch Dayan Haemes.