Mrs. Itu Lustig, a Holocaust survivor who was the matriarch of a large family and who inspired many with stories of her mesiras nefesh and survival, passed away on Thursday, 16 Adar, 5786.
She was 97.
Mrs. Itu Lustig (nee Kahana) was born in Strimtera, Romania, in 1928 to Harav Tzvi Hirsh and Zisel Kahana. Her father was the local Rov and Rosh Yeshiva. On Shvii Shel Pesach 1944 the Jews of Strimtera were taken by the Nazis ym”s, and her family was later sent to Aushwitz. She miraculously survived the infamous selection despite being 15 years old and was later liberated from Bergen Belsen. Her brother Zanvil was her only immediate family member to survive the Holocaust.
Eventually, she immigrated to the United States and married Rabbi Chaim Meir Lustig, obm, in 1948. They settled in Chicago until 1956, when they moved to Crown Heights to send their son to the Lubavitcher Yeshiva on Bedford and Dean.
She was very involved in community life, most notably leading the Crown Heights Bikur Cholim for many years.
She shared her remarkable story of mesirus nefesh and survival with crowds of all ages, inspiring them with her iron-clad emuna and bitachon in Hashem, and her commitment to Torah and Mitzvos even in the most devastating circumstances.
Many years after the war, her father’s many manuscripts were discovered in Eretz Yisrael. She purchased them and arranged for their publication in a three-volume set, Nachlas Tzvi.
She was blessed with many descendants and merited much yiddishe nachas. She made tremendous efforts to participate in every simcha, saying that every simcha was her personal revenge on Hitler ym”s. She passed away peacefully at the age of 97, on Thursday, 16 Adar 5786, right after attending the Bris of her great-great-grandson.
She is survived by her children, Rabbi Hershel Lustig, Dean of Oholei Torah, and two daughters: ZC Lustig of Boro Park and Esther Elgrably of Flatbush, grandchildren, great-grandchildren, and great-great-grandchildren.
The levaya will take place on Friday, passing by 770 at 10:45 am.
Rabbi Hershel Lustig, along with his sisters ZC and Esti, are sitting shiva at
360 Crown St.
Between Brooklyn & New York Avenue
Shacharis:
8:30
Mincha:
6:40
Friday – 3:00
Maariv:
7:25
Daily Hours:
9:30 AM – 12:00 PM
3:00 PM – 9:30 PM
Baruch Dayan Ha’emes.
Boruch dayan haemes
Thank you for sharing her story
The mother of rabbi Hersh lusting obm of ohlei torah the father of all of crown heights children. And the rebbe’s mechanich
This is a great loss for the whole world. A holocaust survivor. A mother. A grandmother. A great-grandmother. A great-great-grandmother.
She was a great woman who always cared for everyone. She was smiling at her last moments at her great-great-grandsons bris. The world will miss her.
Baruch Dayan Ha’emes!
Baruch Dayan H’Emes
Baurch Dayen Ha’Emes,
Very special women.
She came to speak to the students of Bais Rivkah high school a few years ago. She is very inspiring and had buetifuiful stories to share!
She will be very greatly missed by the whole community.
So sorry to learn of this sad news. She will be missed very much by everyone who knew her. I can’t even imagine how many lives she touched over nearly a century.