By COLlive reporter
Rebbetzin Ettel Altein, who was sent over 60 years ago with her husband by the Friediker Rebbe on Shlichus to the Pittsburgh Jewish community, passed away Tuesday, 20 Adar 5772.
During the 1940s, the Lubavitch movement worried about a loss of Jewish traditions resulting from assimilation into American society, the Jewish Chronicle (Pittsburgh) reported.
The 6th Lubavitcher Rebbe, Rabbi Yosef Yitzchok Schneersohn sent Rabbi Yisroel Meir Altein to Pittsburgh around 1945 to help Rabbi Sholom Posner run a new Jewish day school in Oakland, the forerunner to the two Yeshiva Schools in Squirrel Hill.
At the time, many Jewish children in Pittsburgh attended public school during the day followed by Jewish afterschool programs. Altein understood that Jewish students needed an inviting environment in order to take any interest in a full-time Jewish education.
Teaching at the school at the time was Ettel. After their marriage, they remained in town and watched the Lubavitch community grow from a small outpost in the East End of Pittsburgh to a large school with a vast, regional presence in the community.
Rabbi Altein became assistant to the dean, the second in command position to Rabbi Posner. The job took him out of the classroom and into the community as a fundraiser, the Chronicle reported.
In their later years, Rabbi and Rebbetzin Altein both assumed a more intimate role in the community, becoming the mashpia (spiritual mentor), offering spiritual and moral advice and teaching groups and individuals.
Rabbi Altein passed away at the age of 87 in 2009.
She is survived by her children, Chana Stein of Oak Park, Mich., Tzirel Backman of Pittsburgh, R’ Mendel Altein of Montreal, R’ Yossi Altein of Crown Heights, Perl Namdar of Crown Heights and Malya Teitelbaum of Montreal.
She is also survived by her brothers Menashe Edelman of NJ and shliach Rabbi Dovid Edelman of Springfield, MA.
Her levaya will be held Wednesday 3:00 PM in Pittsburgh. She will be buried near her husband in the Homewood Cemetery.
Baruch Dayan Haemes
….i don’t think the article does justice to the person of which we speak….. what about her fierece devotion and faith in torah and Hashem… what about the way she was always there for her family with no shows about her…..always doing what she thought was right… not trying to please the society around her… and, she is still here no doubt.. ….
Dearest Tante Perel and the whole Altein family,
May Hashem comfort you all, and send only simchos..
With love, the Namdars of Sweden
We extend our condolences to, Mrs. Perel Namdar, the deeply loved and valued member of our Taharas Hamishpacha Family.
May Hashem comfort you and your entire family.
May you all know only simchas in the future and may your mother be a guteh better for us all.
She was our guide when as newly weds we joined the staff of the yeshiva. Very humble, downtoearth ,practical and very chassidish.hamokom yenachem eschem bosoch avelay yiroel veyerushalyim.