Tzirel bas Shlomo Zalman became a household name in yeshivos across the world
Irarely comment on an article that appears in Mishpacha, much less write an entire column in response. However, Reb Dovi Safier’s masterpiece in the Pesach issue about Jennie Miller (“Mother of All Yeshivos,” Issue 956) is unlike any other that has been published thus far.
I could never find the words to express my admiration the way my dear friend Reb Sruli Besser, a master of the written word, did in his letter to the editor a couple of weeks ago. Everything he praised about the article — the exhaustive research, the fascinating subject matter, and the pure heart that went into it — makes it worthy of a Pulitzer Prize.
However, I want to just focus on one aspect of the piece, which most would consider just a sidebar, but it touched me very deeply. Allow me to explain.
Reb Dov introduces us to a tragic young figure named Cecelia Cohen, also known as Tzirel bas Shlomo Zalman. She was an 11-year-old niece of Jennie Miller whom she had adopted as an infant. A family member had suggested that since Jenny had not merited children of her own, her brother Samuel, who was blessed with several other children and who was financially supported by his wealthy and generous sister, should allow Jennie to raise his daughter Cecelia as her own.
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