Mrs. Hinda Rader, 98, OBM

Mrs. Hinda Rader, matriarch of a Chabad family and devoted Chosid of the Rebbe from London, England passed away on Monday, 5 Iyar, 5784.

She was 98.

Mrs. Rader was born in London in 1925 the youngest of four children. After enduring the Blitz in World War 2, she met and married her husband, R’ Bentzion Rader, z”l. Together they established a home in Ilford, and became central figures in the community, renowned for their open home and outstanding generosity. As a neighbor recalled, “Whenever you saw a guest in town on Friday with suitcases, you knew they were on their way to the Raders.”

Mrs. Rader was active in numerous communal and philanthropic activities and organizations, including serving as chairlady for London’s WIZO chapter.

After Rabbi Faivish Vogel introduced them to Lubavitch and Chabad Chassidus, the Raders merited to have many hours of yechidus, and received many kiruvim from the Rebbe. Mrs. Rader’s communal activism strengthened as a Chossid of the Rebbe, and she cochaired the European N’shei Chabad convention in 1975 and 1979.

The Raders received numerous personal missions from the Rebbe, both individually and as a team.

In 1984, Life Magazine published a feature on Chassidic weddings at the same time there was a N’shei Chabad convention in Crown Heights. The Rebbe asked Rabbi Krinsky if he could arrange that every woman attending the convention receive the magazine feature as a gift. The convention was scheduled to end the next day, and Rabbi Krinsky didn’t feel comfortable calling the magazine with such a request, especially with such a tight timeframe. The Rebbe said, “Ask Mrs. Rader, she will get it done.”

Rabbi Krinsky called the Raders, who were living in Crown Heights at the time, and relayed the Rebbe’s request. It was early in the morning and R’ Bentzion was about to leave for work. Like Rabbi Krinsky, he doubted the magazine would agree to such a request, and so he told his wife that whatever it costs she should just pay for it.

When R’ Bentzion returned home that evening, he asked what the outcome was. “It was no problem, They delivered them to 770 and they have already been given out.”

“And how much did it cost?”

“Cost? It was their pleasure!”

As a team, the Raders wrote, compiled, and produced numerous books, including Challenge: an Encounter With Chabad, Challenge: An Encounter with Chabad in Israel, Woman Of Valour, Return to Roots, and To Touch the Divine.

After the two Challenge books had been published, the Rebbe once turned to Mrs. Rader in a yechidus and asked what they would be working on next. “People have asked us if we will do another Challenge,” she replied.

“You’ve already shown them how to do that,” The Rebbe answered, “They can do it themselves. I would like you to do an anthology for Jewish women. And if it is a question of money, I would be prepared to be mishtatef, to participate in the venture.”

“That would be quite unnecessary,” Mrs. Rader responded in her typical ladylike English manner. “Besides, I still have money left over from the European Conventions (that she had recently cochaired).”

The Rebbe began to laugh and threw back his head. Tears of laughter ran down his cheek and he wiped them away. When he stopped laughing, the Rebbe said, “This is the first time in the history of my organization that anybody ever had a surplus!”

Mrs. Rader directed numerous organizations, hosted hundreds of guests, and was involved in countless communal projects and activities. Her pride and joy were her children, grandchildren, great grandchildren, and great great grandchildren.

Mrs. Raders’ first yechidus with the Rebbe was on a Sunday, and the Shabbos before there had been a farbrengen. At the yechidus, the Rebbe asked her, “Were you at the farbrengen yesterday?”
“Yes.”
“Did they tell you it was an unscheduled farbrengen?”
“No.”
“Did you enjoy it?”
“I did not understand all of it, but I enjoyed it. Particularly the singing.

The Rebbe then responded, “I’ll know that you enjoyed it when you bring me your children.” Mrs. Rader merited to bring more than 240 descendants to the Rebbe.

She is survived by her children, Tzirel Weinbaum (London, England), Lieba Baumgarten (Johannesburg, South Africa), and Rabbi Hershel Rader, (Brighton, England).

The levaya will leave from 9 Hayes Crescent, London NW11 0DG at 2:00 pm, on Tuesday, Vav Iyaar.

Shiva will be held at the Weinbaum home, 9 Hayes Crescent, London NW11 0DG. Minyanim times are:
Shachris: 8:00am
Mincha: 4:00pm
Maariv: 9:30pm