Lady Jakobovits – a double tragedy
9 May 2010
Whenever a My Encounter with the Rebbe alumnus passes away, we take it very personally. Each interviewee bares a part of his or her soul – sharing what usually is a most personal relationship with the camera, and ultimately thousands of others. But there’s a silver lining to the sadness – the fact that a part of them will live on through their My Encounter testimony.
This time, we got a taste that’s much worse . Lady Amelie Jakobovits, the widow of the London’s former Chief Rabbi, Lord Jakobovits passed away this past Friday, May 7th. She had taken ill on the very day we were to interview her.
Lady J. was the daughter of Rabbi Elie Munk of Ansbach, Germany. With the rise of the Nazis, Rabbi Munk was forced to leave Germany in 1937. He chose the same destination as the Rebbe did several years earlier – Paris, France. Rabbi Munk became a rabbi of a shul in Paris. His daughter, Lady J, remembered the Rebbe visiting her father on Friday nights to discuss Torah matters when the Rebbe was in Paris in the 1930s.
We had an interview scheduled for Tuesday, May 4th. The camera crew was packed up and en route, the questions were written, and the interviewer ready to roll. Early that morning her daughter, Shoshana Turner, called us in New York saying that her mother wasn’t feeling well, and that the interview would have to postponed for a couple of days.
Two days later, on Friday morning, we heard the news that Lady J. had passed away. Baruch Dayan Emes.
We never got to record the details of the Rebbe’s Friday night visits with her father in Paris. What she did tell us, on several occasions, was that she remembers the Rebbe visiting her father on Friday nights, and the two would spend hours in discussing Torah.
In addition to those memories, we planned to discuss with her the Rebbe’s correspondence with her late husband, the former Chief Rabbi of England, Lord Jakobovits. Their interactions covered many issues, including matters concerning the London Jewish community, and issues related to Israel’s security. On several occasions, Lord Jakobovits met with the Rebbe in person in a private audience. Lady Jakobovits visited with the Rebbe several times, as well. Interestingly, she would ask to meet with the Rebbe by herself, without her husband.
A family has lost their loving mother, and Klal Yisroel has lost yet another precious encounter.
Whenever a My Encounter with the Rebbe alumnus passes away, we take it very personally. Each interviewee bares a part of his or her soul – sharing what usually is a most personal relationship with the camera, and ultimately thousands of others. But there’s a silver lining to the sadness – the fact that a part of them will live on through their My Encounter testimony.
This time, we got a taste that’s much worse . Lady Amelie Jakobovits, the widow of the London’s former Chief Rabbi, Lord Jakobovits passed away this past Friday, May 7th. She had taken ill on the very day we were to interview her.
Lady J. was the daughter of Rabbi Elie Munk of Ansbach, Germany. With the rise of the Nazis, Rabbi Munk was forced to leave Germany in 1937. He chose the same destination as the Rebbe did several years earlier – Paris, France. Rabbi Munk became a rabbi of a shul in Paris. His daughter, Lady J, remembered the Rebbe visiting her father on Friday nights to discuss Torah matters when the Rebbe was in Paris in the 1930s.
We had an interview scheduled for Tuesday, May 4th. The camera crew was packed up and en route, the questions were written, and the interviewer ready to roll. Early that morning her daughter, Shoshana Turner, called us in New York saying that her mother wasn’t feeling well, and that the interview would have to postponed for a couple of days.
Two days later, on Friday morning, we heard the news that Lady J. had passed away. Baruch Dayan Emes.
We never got to record the details of the Rebbe’s Friday night visits with her father in Paris. What she did tell us, on several occasions, was that she remembers the Rebbe visiting her father on Friday nights, and the two would spend hours in discussing Torah.
In addition to those memories, we planned to discuss with her the Rebbe’s correspondence with her late husband, the former Chief Rabbi of England, Lord Jakobovits. Their interactions covered many issues, including matters concerning the London Jewish community, and issues related to Israel’s security. On several occasions, Lord Jakobovits met with the Rebbe in person in a private audience. Lady Jakobovits visited with the Rebbe several times, as well. Interestingly, she would ask to meet with the Rebbe by herself, without her husband.
A family has lost their loving mother, and Klal Yisroel has lost yet another precious encounter.
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