Mrs. Mindelle Feller, 75, OBM

Mrs. Mindelle Feller, one of the first Shluchos in the United States, passed away on Wednesday, 18 Kislev, 5778.

She was 75.

She had been suffering from a terrible illness which took a turn for the worse in recent months.

Mrs. Feller was a dedicated Shlucha alongside her husband, Head Shliach to Minnesota Rabbi Moshe Feller.

Rabbi Moshe and Mindelle Feller founded Upper Midwest Merkos–Chabad Lubavitch in Minnesota in the winter of 1961, a mere month after their marriage.

“Before my wife and I moved out to Minnesota, we had a private audience with the Rebbe,” Rabbi Feller told Chabad.org. “The Rebbe spoke mostly to my wife. However, among other things, the Rebbe told me—and he said this word in English—that I would need to be ‘flexible.’ ”

Rabbi Feller credited that flexibility with his ability to constantly adapt and innovate during his and his wife’s long and fruitful career.

“The last place in the world I wanted to go was back to Minnesota,” he said. “But the Rebbe told us that he wanted us to go there to establish Chabad in the Upper Midwest, and we went with joy.”

They began their work in the Twin Cities of Minneapolis-St. Paul, traveling to small towns that had no organized Jewish life, arranging Hebrew schools, adult-education classes and holiday programs.

By 1963, they had founded what may have been the first Gan Israel day camp in history, a success that has been replicated in hundreds—if not thousands—of cities around the world.

In 1965, the Fellers opened the Lubavitch House in a 12-room home. Then an innovation, it served as a retreat for Shabbat and other Jewish gatherings.

When the Lubavitch House was burned by arsonists in 1968, the Fellers buried the Torahs and went on to purchase a mansion in Highland Park.

In 1971, together with Rabbi Manis Friedman, the Fellers founded Bais Chana—the world-renowned educational institute for women seeking to learn about Judaism—which today boasts some 20,000 alumnae. In 2000, Chabad again relocated to a new 23,000-square-foot facility in West St. Paul.

More than a decade later, in 1977, the time came to found a Chassidic day school in St. Paul, and Lubavitch Cheder Day School was born, with Mrs. Feller serving as founding principal.

Today, under the directorship of Rabbi Shlomo Bendet, the school continues to thrive as a bastion of Jewish education and excellence.

Mrs. Feller is survived by her husband, Rabbi Moshe Feller, and children Rabbi Mendel Feller – S. Paul, Minnesota and Rabbi Levi Feller -Miami, Florida.

She is also survived by her siblings, Sara Bleich – Boro Park, Itty Mendelson – Boro Park, Rochel Zukerman – Lakewood, Rabbi Shmuel Lew – London, Chaim Lew – Flatbush and Luzi Lew – Lakewood.

She was predeceased by her brother Rabbi Yitzchok Yosef Lew.

The levaya will take place today in Minnesota.

Baruch Dayan Ha’emes: Mindelle bas R’ Dovid