The Daughter of the Rebbe’s Doctor is a UN Diplomat

By Rabbi Mendel Fogelman, Director of Chabad of Worcester, Massachusetts

This past Sunday, in an unusual turn of events, I found myself at home, for a housekeeping mission, during a typical work day. But as we know, there truly is no such thing as happenstance.

As I was going through the backlog of mail, right by the front door, I heard a knock, and was surprised to see a familiar face that I couldn’t quite place “Hi Mendel, it’s Sarah, Ira and Myra’s daughter”.

“I just stopped at your mother’s but there was no answer, I asked my mom if I should call you before stopping by and she said, you don’t call Mendel, just knock on his door or walk right in, no matter if it’s at Yeshiva or his home.”

To say I was both happy and honored to see her is an absolute understatement! Sarah Weiss Maudi is the daughter of our very dear friends Dr. Ira and Myra Weiss of Chicago, Illinois.

Myra grew up in Worcester and was married by my late father, OBM, right here at The Yeshiva. Her husband, Dr. Ira Weiss, Senior Attending Cardiologist at Evanston Hospital in Evanston, IL is most famously known as the doctor of the Rebbe.

Sarah herself has an extremely impressive resume as an Israeli diplomat. She holds the position of the Legal Advisor of Israel’s Permanent Mission to the United Nations. Recently, she was appointed to the Cabinet of the incoming President of the United Nations General Assembly. This is an incredible honor, as an Israeli has never been allowed a cabinet seat in the UNGA, Sarah is the very first! We could not be more proud of her.

Sarah has many fond memories of the Yomim tovim her family would spend here at Chabad and was delighted as she revisited the shul and took the opportunity to tour the extensive renovations and our new state of the art preschool. We were most proud to introduce our esteemed visitor to the children at our Chabad Hebrew School, as a proud Jew who holds such an important position on the world stage.

Despite her own titles, during her tour, Sarah, introduced herself first and foremost, as the daughter of the Rebbe’s Doctor. Stating that it is one of her proudest accolades. She relayed to the children that in 1978 her father was called upon to save the Rebbe’s life after he had suffered a major heart attack during Simchas Torah, after which he remained both his doctor and confidant.

As a very personal honor, Sarah left us with more than just a little bit of Nachas. She told us, that when anyone asks her who her Rabbi is, the man she pictures is my father, Rabbi Hershel Fogelman. How proud are we that his devotion to yiddishkeit, teaching, knowledge and love continues to leave such an indelible mark on Sarah, her family and all who came in contact with him.

This is just a small reminder that it is Hashem who runs the world and it is through his hand that such seemingly small “coincidences” occur that have the possibility to change the course of one’s life. It is our aim that experiences such as these touch the hearts of our students and cause a ripple effect, paving the way for continued positive Jewish pride and experiences in the future. Thank you Sarah!