Mrs Hadassah Beck was well known for her staunch adherence to Yiddishkeit, her Hachnosas Orchim, which - together with her late husband Reb Yochanan Beck O”H - saw many Rabbonim and other dignitaries, as well as regular guests make their home away from home under their warm roof.
For her to drive all the way to far away places, just to give someone a lift was a no-brainer; it was an extension of her dedication to the Mitzvah of Hachnosas Orchim.
Born at a time of distress for the Jewish people, during WWII, her parents were always on the run. Fleeing Holland, then Belgium and when they arrived in France they had to find a way out and ended up on the Swiss border.
Her father, Reb Kalman Schachter O”H held her in his arms and as they found a breach in the fence that separated them from their cursed pursuers and Switzerland, a Swiss border patrol apprehended them.
The soldier started interrogating them and as he asked Reb Kalman what he had in his arms, the frightened father took off the blanket and uncovered the child cradled in his embrace. Being in the dead of the night, the young baby woke up from the frigid cold and started crying, which awoke some sense of compassion in the stoic soldier. He said in German, pointing out a path in the forest: “Quick, follow this route and make sure to be out of the way, as there are Wehrmacht soldiers in the area!”. This way, a group of over sixty people were saved - in the merit of Aunty Hadassah’s crying.
Mrs Beck was an amazingly devoted mother and grandmother, neighbour friend…. caring, worrying and Davening for her family and for anyone who needed a Yeshua. She was always holding a siddur or Tehillim - that was her life thanking the Eibeshter for everything, she believed everything was good and was from Hashem.
Her children and grandchildren proudly say :
Her Emunah and Bitachon were legendary, she always believed and trusted that Hashem has a plan and it's good. Davening and Tehillim were her life and she was always a big shul-goer (she often arrived before the majority of the men).
She was always dressed and behaved elegantly, without giving up on Tznius as befitting a true Eshes Chayil – a real refined lady who valued the virtues of being a Bas Melech.
She would religiously attend Shiurim - even after she became quite ill and even when she was completely washed out after a chemo session - she would not miss any of them - and later on, when she could not go out anymore or during the COVID-19 pandemic, she participated on Zoom.
She always wanted to join in people’s simchas, like a chuppah, kiddush - just wanted to make everyone feel good with a big mazel tov.
She was hosting all types of orchim - our father would bring someone home from shul for a meal - no warning – sometimes an almonoh and sometimes entire families....
When the Beis Yaakov school for girls was in its early years - she would volunteer tirelessly and help with whatever was needed, library, reading, wrapping books, lifts, fundraising...
She would host tzedaka parties for charities - some of them she didn't even know much about - cooking, baking and preparing beautifully set tables.
She so much looked forward to and thoroughly enjoyed hosting the extended family get together party during chanukah and other yomin tovim...."
One of her nieces writes:
“A few lines on Aunty Hadassah. O”h: It is impossible to put onto paper how much I learnt from our dear aunty…. She had such a strong Emunah and Bitachon.
She would always say Hashem is the right doctor and only he will decide how long I will live - not any professor or doctor can tell me that!!! She made sure to tell the doctors the same.
She once gave me a very strong moshol (parable):
“When we make a tapestry it all starts to look beautiful, the more we sew the greater the picture looks. But when you turn it around you will notice in the back all the treads are a total mumble jumble. So it is in our lives, there are times when things look all mumble jumble but when Moshiach will come the whole picture will look perfectly beautiful”.
Aunty Hadassah loved sharing people’s simches. She wouldn’t miss anyone’s simche if it was locally in Golders Green, in Stamford Hill or abroad - she always came to wish mazel tov and share in someone else’s joy.
Every week she listened to the Beth Linda zoom - hosted in Antwerp, Belgium - about people’s life stories, how they spent the war years or how they grew up in the olden times.
She would call me the next day and repeat it all. She remembered all the names of people and places that were mentioned.
Aunty Hadassah would sit and say Tehillim every day, finishing it thousands of times.
She didn’t speak Loshon hora and still had lots to say to make interesting conversations.
When we used to take leave of her to return home, she would always insist on meeting us all the way to her front door, she waited until we entered the car and waved to us until we were down the road.”
A great niece writes: “Tante Hadassah was such a special great-aunt whom I miss already now! Her warmth, care and interest in our well-being she was always showing to our family, her regal presence at each family Simchah will sorely be missed!
The yearly Chanukah parties hosted by uncle Yochenen O”H and Tante Hadassah O”H were a highlight of my younger years.
How she devotedly prepared with heart and soul to ensure our family enjoyed those parties together and her generosity to us little kids were a display of her joy in giving.
May she always be in our memories, as the example of a true Eshes Chayil - תנצבה.
Arele writes: "She gave us always a push up icecream from snowcrest.gedenkst?"