Savta of a Generation  

Thousands of chassidim paid their respects to Rebbetzin Tzipporah Feiga Alter a”h last week, eishes chaver to the Pnei Menachem of Gur zy”a. But her granddaughters merited to know another side, a grandmother who learned, taught, took life seriously yet appreciated a good joke, while leaving behind a formidable legacy

ITwas during the shivah for our grandfather, Rebbe Pinchas Menachem Alter of Gur zy”a, that his sons decided to title his book of divrei Torah “Pnei Menachem.”

“Saba had many faces,” they remarked (referring to the meaning of title, “Faces of Menachem”). Savta agreed.

“He wasn’t a simple figure,” she said. “It’s hard to eulogize Saba. How could you ever write a book about him? After all, there were so many aspects to his character, and each one was a world of its own.”

On Sunday last week, when we were asked to write about our grandmother, Mrs. Tzipporah Feiga Alter a”h, who passed away at age 97 on 10 Sivan, we faced the same quandary. Born into the chassidish nobility of the Gur court, a great-granddaughter of the Sfas Emes and the daughter-in-law of the Imrei Emes, she merited to know that generation up close. Yet she had the common touch, patiently giving her attention to everyone.