Her face radiated
Sweetness
Caring
Compassion
Friendship.
From the moment you met her,
The quality of her soul shined brightly,
Without need of rich clothing, no need for sparkles, bangles, or fancy dress,
Her claim to royalty was in her blood,
For she had claimed the crown of Yiddishkeit, entranced by the candles at a young age,
The candles of Chanukah,
Exploring more as she grew.
In college she met her match – her Moish, her soulmate,
And began her lifelong journey as a Jew, sealing that commitment.
In the course of her life, she touched so many,
She helped so many,
She smiled at so many.
And always, as the years passed, she learned.
She was always learning – and teaching.
She opened her home to strangers
And by the end of Shabbos,
They had become lifelong friends.
We all have our Malkah stories.
I remember how she always encouraged me to write.
We published two books together.
She had great talents in editorial, in writing,
A passion for history.
During one of the most difficult points of my life,
She came with herbs and brachos
And helped me purify my house.
More than the sage, or the incense,
With the change of the air, I too felt purified.
How did she know what I needed?
Malkah was like the hug that you never wanted to end.
Malkah, I miss you so much.
We all do.
May your neshamah rise high in the heavenly sphere,
May you dance in the clouds and learn Torah from the great sages, from the angels;
May the Shechinah enfold you in its arms,
In the hug of eternity.
When we light our candles, at 8:01,
We will know the time for Shabbos has come.
May we all be comforted by the Shabbos light.
By Judith Dinowitz
