By COLlive reporter
Mrs. Sarah Shemtov, matriarch of a respected Lubavitch family of Shluchim and a community activist in Crown Heights, passed away Tuesday, Elul 6 5770.
She was 74. Her 75th birthday would have been on Elul 8.
Like her late husband Reb Mendel Shemtov, she was passionate about the Rebbe‘s instructions, the honor of Lubavitch and the identity of the Crown Heights Chassidic neighborhood.
Their home was a permanent guest house to 770 bochurim and a venue for the first planning meetings of the Vaad Hakohol – Crown Heights Jewish Community Council, which Mendel was a founding chairman of.
Born in Rockaway, Queens, Sara Stock grew up witnessing how the Rebbe took over a movement with few Chassidim and turned it into an international network of shuls, schools and other humanitarian centers.
She was said to be the first to be enrolled as a student in Bais Rivka – a school that would later become the flagship Chabad institution for girls.
She was also from the first few who marched in the streets on Lag BaOmer, promoting education and quality of Jewish life, at the encouragement of the Rebbe.
Never shy with words or to share an opinion, Sara Shemtov would recall those days as an indication of how Chassidim should conduct themselves after Gimmel Tammuz.
She was in charge of accounting in her husband’s Premier Pack Trading Corp and took an important role in handing out charity to build and develop many local and international organizations and institutions.
In recent months, she was hospitalized at Maimonides Medical Center where she was surrounded by immediate family. The family asked to thank the hospital, its staff and the Bikur Cholim organizations for their assistance throughout.
She is survived by children Rabbi Yossie Shemtov, Director of Chabad in Tucson; Feige Duchman of Crown Heights; Bassie Treitel of Montreal, Canada; Kasriel Shemtov of Crown Heights and Rabbi Levi Shemtov, Director of Friendship Circle in West Bloomfield, MI; grandchildren and great grandchildren.
Baruch Dayan Haemes.
FUNERAL & SHIVA INFO
The funeral will be held Tuesday at Shomrei Hadas Chapels at 3803 14th Ave in Brooklyn and will pass by Lubavitch Headquarters 770 at 12:45pm.
The family will be sitting Shivah at her home 595 Lefferts Avenue in Brooklyn.
Davening times: Shacharis 7am, 7:30am and 8:15am. Mincha and Maariv bizmana.
But she was so ALIVE! Remembering her VITALity makes it so hard to accept her MORTality!
We loved her (early 80’s) visits to her Faigie in Kol Tuv…it was pure entertainment…and an example of what a “Yiddishe Mameh” should be.
Anyone who knew her can attest to her refreshing honesty, warm heart, and nostalgic (for simpler times) Brooklynese accent!
May your family revel in these memories and smile upon reading this…
Simchas going fwd…PLEASE!
Broch
BDE i love u
When our family moved to Crown Heights in 1993 we had the very great honor of being window neighbors with Rabbi Mendel and Mrs. Sara Shemtov. Imagine having a front row seat to see two of Hashem’s greatest and yet humblest creations in action! Oh what a tremendous learning experience it was for our family. Watching these two experts simply carrying out their daily activities and hearing the sounds of their beautiful family life was truly one of the most powerful memories we will always have. We learned step by step how to build a Chassidishe family, and we learned… Read more »
Now I can see a little bit of how Levi Shemtov became the heartfelt and humble leader that he is — and how he inherited his beautiful mother’s down-to-earth & haimishche warmth — and even her accounting talent.. Although I never met Sarah Shemtov, I feel like I have seen her in her son’s eyes and in his generous spirit. Heartfelt thanks to dear Sarah Shemtov O.B.M. for giving us such a devoted son and a great davener. Only a mother of exemplary ability and dedication could create such an ambassador of the Rebbe’s Wisdom & LOVE. With sincere sympathy,… Read more »
Very sad to hear this new of this untimely death. Condolences to the entire family.
She was my aunt – but much more. Always caring for everyone, no matter who they were, giving whatever she had, even when she didn’t have so much (and even if what she thought that what you needed was a piece of her mind!) A supremely devoted wife and mother, and chssidiste of our dear Rebbe, outspoken and always caring, she was a humble queen with a deep noble sense of purpose and selfless commitment, and now she will rek uf aleh oilemes and be a gutteh better for us all. I was her favorite nephew, at least that’s what… Read more »
BDE. I can’t believe it! Sarah Shemtov was always helping others, quietly and without any fanfare. She never made a big deal of herself and was the ultimate in hatzne’a leches. May the family be comforted, and may we all learn from her good deeds. Ad mosai!!
Brazil
Being a good friend of her granddaughter, I hung out at their house often. Mrs. Shemtov was a great woman, who always showed care, and had words of wisdom to impart.
I came to respect her and her husband very much, and the close knit family which they have created.
You felt comfortable in her house as though it was your own…
hamakom yenachem eschem …
What a wonderful woman, kind and caring. She and her husband practically gave every ounce of space she had for tens of bochurim sleeping on her floors in manhattan 1994.
Dear Shem Tov Mishpacha,Sheyichyu, המקום ינחם אתכם בתוך שאר אבלי ציון וירושלים Blessing and Greeting: “I learned of the passing of your mother, peace to her, already after Shiva. May G-d grant that henceforth you should not know of any sorrow, and be recompensed with much good. The Zechus of the great work which you and your family are doing in the cause of Torah, Toras Chayim also called Lekach Tov (good teaching) will surely stand you and your husband and children and grandchildren in good stead, to be blessed with long life, filled with goodness and benevolence, the kind… Read more »
she was my great aunt! a real incredible woman to……….:(
A former student of the shluchim online school
i miss you so much i did not see you for 8 moths and now icant see you antil mashas come!
they say behind evry sucsesfull man there is a good woman,,
well , if any one who knew reb mendel obm was.. and wat he did 4 the Rebba, and how suportive his wife was .then you will be able to say that this picture says 1000 words
we want more photos………………
Well what can we say? A big chunk of Crown Heights has just been torn away from us all. We can only look ahead with confidence, good health, and yiddishkeit promotion.
it was a gr8 zchuse to know her , she talk about the previous generration , and how life was , in the early years , the Rebba
. crown hights brownsvill , ,she said it st8 , always gave the best of guideance. very much missed, reb mendel always gave her the proper drech ertz . he always called her by her hebrew name , with such respect , i miss them both . obm
moshiac now , we need him……
There are no words to describe what an inspiration Sarah was & will continue to be, not just to her family but to the rest of us who looked up to her & her husband in so many ways. I am so shocked & sorry to read this news. She will be missed so much.
BDE!
Moshiach Now!!!
she was and always will be in my heart and all her family should be comforted she is now with family and at peace i loved her for her honest and kind way she lived her life she had left some wonderful children and grandchildren may we all see all our loved ones soon
BORUCH DAYAN EMES!!
BD”H. What a shock and terrible loss. I knew Sarah Shemtov well; they don’t them in her mold anymore. Hashem should give nechamah to the family.
On my first trip to the USA to visit the Rebbe in 1979, our family was graciously hosted by Rabbi Mendel & Sara Shemtov. Their Hachnosas Orchim, care and warmth was exemplary. Sara’s close friendship and bond with my parents over many years has been something that I know they have cherished deeply. I try and model my own “open house to all” from what I’ve learned by witnessing this benevolent woman. On behalf of all the Solomon’s, I wish to extend to the entire Shemtov family heartfelt condolences and blessings of comfort. Thank you Sara for your genuine Chesed… Read more »
I didnt have the privilege of visting by the parents but I do know R. Kasriel and R. Avrahom and they are both fine Yidden. May they be comforted!
What a special woman!
deepest condolences to the shemtovs. They are one of the nicest people i know. Mrs Sara shemtov obm was always so nice and caring whenever i saw her. may she rest in peace. Moshiach Now
baruch dayan haemes
she was a great woman
this is so sad
boruch dayon hoemes
A very special woman…hamokom yenachem eschem besoch shaar aveilei tziyin viyerusholoyim