It is with great sadness that Matzav.com reports the passing of Mrs. Rochel (Felice) Blau a”h, who was niftar over the first days of Yom Tov.
Mrs. Blau was the former menaheles of Bais Yaakov Academy girls elementary school in Flatbush, Brooklyn, a position she held for many years, devoting her heart and soul to the field of chinuch habanos.
Mrs. Blau is survived by her husband, Rabbi Chaim Elazar Blau; her sisters, Mrs. Esther Lenshevsky, Mrs. Shirley Horowitz and Mrs. Miriam Greenstein; and her children, Rav Shmuel Binyomin Blau, Rav Yonason Blau, Mrs. Tzivia Fishman and Mrs. Leah Jacobs.
Yehi zichroh boruch.
{Matzav.com}
BDE. A great loss of a great teacher and leader.
a once-upon-a-time long ago friend from bnos, from camp bais yaakov, from williamsburg, from rebetzin kaplan’s BY high school BDE
this machlah has taken some of our best and finest
Rebbetzin Blau a”h was a wonderful person, a gift to the world, even before she was Rebbitzin Blau.
In Camp Naarah in the 1950’s, the then-probably-around-20-years-old Felice Lieberman was an exceptionally inspiring and talented mashpiah on so many campers, myself included. She was not my counselor, but her fiery and motivating shiurim were available to all of us.
In addition, her incredible artistic gifts were used l’shem shamayim. A major example was her production of a pageant/play on Yetziyas Mitzrayim and Matan Torah. I still remember our singing her lyrics to the dirge-like notes of “Song of the Volga Boatmen”: “The tyrant Pharoah/ Of him we’re full of woe/ The cruel deceiver, the unbeliever!” Later in the play came the dramatic proclamation of the first two of the Aseres Hadibros by an unseen voice from behind the curtain, followed by Moshe completing them in front of the curtain, to a rousing, serious tune, also of her choice. When we had a carnival, her “booth” had her quickly sketching pictures of all comers, revealing her truly exceptional drawing /painting talents.
This thimbleful of remembrance and praise inadequately describes the gratitude and warm memories of one person; may the Ribono-shel-Olam be menachem Rebbitzen Blau’s family, and may we be inspired by reading much more that should be written about her in the future.
B”H
BD”E Morah Blau was my teacher (maybe Novi?) 53 years ago in BYA. She was known to all as Felice, and held the class in the palm of her hand – and that wasn’t a given..
Moshiach NOW!!