Mrs. Sarah Riva Landes passed away peacefully on Shabbos, 22nd Adar, 5785.
She was 92.
A longtime resident of Palo Alto, she was the beloved wife of the late Dr. Yehudah Landes, who played a pivotal role in founding Chabad of Palo Alto. As the first Chabad House treasurer, Sandy was deeply involved in its growth and success.
Together, she and her husband built a home known for its extraordinary hachnasas orchim, opening their doors to countless visitors—many of them patients receiving treatment at Stanford Hospital—who stayed for weeks or even months at a time. She was a steadfast supporter of her husband’s work for Lubavitch, as he traveled across South Africa, Australia, and America, inspiring many to embrace Yiddishkeit.
Beyond her communal contributions, Sandy was a brilliant professional, working as a solid-state physicist and later as a computer software manager—a position she held until the remarkable age of 70.
She is survived by her sons, Rabbi Yehoshua Landes (Milwaukee, WI), Rabbi Daniel Landes (Palo Alto, CA), her daughter, Mrs. Susan Fried (Florida), as well as grandchildren and great-grandchildren.
Baruch Dayan Ha’emes.
Shmarya Steinberg Montreal
Dr. Judd and Sandy Landes were a remarkable couple. It’s been close to 40 years since they visited our community but people still quote them. They were incredibly inspiring and straightforward with a good dose of wit and humor.
Yitzchak Sapochkinsky
Westlake Village CA