A pall of mourning fell over the Gerer community on Wednesday with the passing of Mrs. Esther Weitz a”h, the esteemed sister-in-law of the Gerrer Rebbe, who was niftar at the age of 72 following a serious illness in recent weeks.

Mrs. Weitz was the wife of R’ Yissachar Dov Yeshaya Weitz, one of the respected members of the Gur chassidus in both Haifa and Ashdod. She was widely known as a woman of refinement and chesed, whose life reflected deep emunah and quiet strength.

She was born on 24 Tammuz 5713 to her father, R’ Yeshayahu Wexelman z”l, a prominent Gerrer chossid in Haifa who served as chairman of Agudas Yisroel in the city.

In her youth, she married her husband, R’ Yissachar Dov Yeshaya Weitz, a distinguished figure within the chassidus. He is the son of Rav Menachem Mendel Weitz z”l, who served as a maggid shiur in Yeshivas Chiddushei HaRim and was the father-in-law of the Gerrer Rebbe.

For many decades, the couple built a home in Haifa rooted in Torah and chassidus. Her husband is known as a yerei Shamayim who worked in kashrus supervision and also served as a baal tefillah, leading the davening in the main Gerrer Bais Medrash in Yerushalayim.

Those who knew her describe a true tzadekes, whose Tehillim was never far from her hands. Her days were filled with acts of kindness and devotion. Each Erev Shabbos, she would distribute Shabbos candles throughout the city of Haifa, enabling many to bring in Shabbos with light and kedusha. Over the past year, she and her husband relocated to Ashdod to be closer to their children.

She leaves behind a large and beautiful family, including 12 children, along with grandchildren and descendants who continue in the path of Torah and yiras Shamayim.

Yehi zichrah boruch.

{Matzav.com}