Rebbetzin Chaya Ausband lived with faith, intense joy, and boundless appreciation for Torah
She was a scion of Torah royalty, wife of a Rosh Yeshiva, and mother of a large and illustrious family. Yet Rebbetzin Chaya Ausband was, first and foremost, a mechaneches.
As head of Yavne Teachers Seminary in Cleveland, Ohio, she taught generations of young women how to learn a pasuk in Chumash, how to dissect a Rashi, how to analyze a perek of Navi. More than that, she taught them about the dignity and greatness of a life completely devoted to Torah.
For these American girls, she served as a link to the pre-war European Torah giants. Her influence on their lives was so profound that when she passed away two weeks ago at the age of 96, her talmidos from decades ago felt bereft.
Although her greatness was impossible to fully penetrate – an “ishah gedolah” was the way many describe her — in interviews with talmidos and family members, several qualities were mentioned repeatedly. Here’s a small glimpse of what she embodied.
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