It is with great sadness that Matzav.com reports the petirah of Rebbetzin Frimit Taub–Housman a”h, a woman whose life was defined by unwavering yiras Shamayim, profound Torah knowledge, and a lifelong devotion to her family and to communal service. Her presence radiated dignity, strength, and quiet depth; her legacy is etched in the generations she nurtured and the Torah she lived.
Born Frimit Werzberger on the Lower East Side, she was raised in a home distinguished by extraordinary mesirus nefesh for shemiras Shabbos during the grinding years of the Great Depression. At a time when Shabbos observance often meant forfeiting livelihood and security, her family stood firm. Those formative years, shaped by sacrifice and emunah, left an indelible imprint on her character and on the spiritual tone of the home she would later build.
She was a granddaughter of Reb Berish Elefant zt”l, revered maggid shiur at Yeshiva Torah Vodaas and later rosh yeshiva of Nesivos Olam. From him she inherited a deep reverence for Torah learning and a broad, historically grounded understanding of the mesorah of Klal Yisroel.
In her first marriage to Reb Dovid Housman zt”l, a devoted Karliner chossid and shochet, she helped establish a true Torah home, one infused with chassidishe warmth and steadfast commitment to halacha. After his untimely petirah, she carried the mantle of responsibility alone. With remarkable inner strength and unwavering faith, she raised her children, guided them, and married them off, ensuring that the home they had built would continue to flourish in Torah and yiras Shamayim.
Later in life she married Reb Ahron Tzvi Taub zt”l, the Heiliner Rov. As the Heiliner Rebbetzin, she became a source of guidance and inspiration in her own right. She delivered shiurim to women, and those who attended recall her clarity, her command of Torah sources, and her sweeping grasp of Jewish history. Her learning was lived, integrated, and transmitted with warmth and conviction.
Even in her later years, when others might have withdrawn from public involvement, Rebbetzin Taub–Housman remained active in acts of chesed. She prepared food regularly for Yad Efraim, providing comfort and nourishment to hospital patients and their families. This quiet, steady giving, done without fanfare, reflected the essence of her life: Torah anchored, compassionate, and purposeful.
She is survived by her sister, Mrs. R. Sylvetsky of Yerushalayim; her son, Rav Dov Housman of Monsey, and her daughters, Mrs. Eizikowitz, Mrs. Wollner, Mrs. Schwartz of Jersey City, and Mrs. Gober of Monsey. She was predeceased by her son, Reb Mordechai zt”l.
The levayah will take place Sunday morning at Kahal Yereim-Heilin, located at Fort Hamilton Parkway and 47th Street in Brooklyn, NY.
Yehi zichrah boruch.
{Matzav.com}