She Who Brought the Benabous

By COLlive reporter
Photos by Levi Percia

The family of Mrs. Dorit Giro OBM marked the Shloshim – 30 days since her passing – on Motzei Shabbos with an event beginning the writing of a Torah scroll in her memory.

Giro, a beloved mother, daughter, sister and active member of the Crown Heights community passed away one month ago at the age of 45.

At the Shloshim, held at the newly-renovated hall at Lubavitcher Yeshiva sponsored in Giro’s memory, family members and friends spoke about her loving and giving personality, and especially her hachnosas orchim.

Rabbi Moshe Kotlarsky, Vice Chairman of Merkos L’inyonei Chinuch, whose home is known to be open to guests from around the world, recalled Giro’s first years in the neighborhood.

“It was one Tishrei, before Gimmel Tammuz – I don’t remember the year, that my wife Rikvah welcomed her into our house,” he said.

“Many others moved in, but she quickly became a member of the family and remained to be close to the Rebbe,” Rabbi Kotlarsky said.

“She was a chassidishe woman who always had an open door and it didn’t take long before her siblings followed her and became part of the Crown Heights community, working hard to accomplish what they have.”

He was referring to the growing business empire Giro’s siblings have built, furthering commerce in the neighborhood, home to the largest Lubavitch community in the world.

Her brother Itzik Benabou owns the Kol Tov Grocery on Kingston Avenue, Empire Kosher market on Empire Boulevard, The Market Place on East New York Avenue and Kingston Pizza.

Another brother Shimmy Benabou owns Koshertown and Cafe Rimon and is President of the Merkaz Sefarad Chabad shul. Her sisters are Iris Sherman of Iris Salon & Spa and Smadi Benabou of Smadar Events.

“When you first renovated this hall, you suggested to us we find an additional donor who would want to dedicate the hall,” Rabbi Yosef Simpson, principal of the Lubavitcher Yeshiva, told Itzik Benabou who donated the remodeling of the simcha hall.

“Now we are here, in the hall that ended up being dedicated to your sister,” he said. “This hall will be open and welcoming to host every kind of simcha the way her home was open, warm and engaging for all.”

The family then began the writing of the letters of a new Sefer Torah in her memory.

The Torah, which is being written by sofer Gershon Chaimson, will be completed in a year and given to Lubavitcher Yeshiva to be used during the children’s daily minyan.