We hear of tragedies every day, unfortunately. Usually, we barely pause. We sigh, say baruch Dayan Ha’emes, and go on with our lives. But sometimes the tragedies hit close to home, because we know the people well. That happened to me recently when two special women were niftaros around Pesach time. Both women’s names were on many tehilim lists, one as Rochel bas Chana Leah, Rochel Globerman, my neighbor and friend on Clover Road for the last 30 years – and one as Rochel bas Rima, my friend Rochel Canterman, who lived in Heather Ridge.
Although Mrs. Globerman and Mrs. Canterman did not know each other, in my mind they are linked, because I knew both of them well and davened for both of them. And both left this world around the same time. I thought it might be meaningful to write a little about these two special women, to give their friends an opportunity to talk about the loss that our community suffered and to elaborate on their uniqueness.
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Rochel Globerman, originally from Eretz Yisrael, raised her four children on Clover Road. All her children are married with families, and her oldest granddaughter recently got married. Rachel took great pleasure from her children and grandchildren and traveled to New York or Lakewood for every occasion, including school plays and siddur parties. Since she did not work outside the home, she used her time to help others. She had the ability to create very strong friendships. Many of her friends with whom I spoke told me how close they felt to her.
Malkie Reznitzky was a very close friend of Rochel’s. Malkie who is also from Eretz Yisrael, says, “Rochel was my mother in America. We met about 12 years ago on the corner of Strathmore and Park Heights. She introduced herself and told me that she was also from Israel. ‘Do you drive?’ she asked. When I told her that I didn’t, she became my private chauffer. ‘I don’t work,’ she said, ‘so I am happy to drive you wherever you need to go.’ Every time she went out, she would call me, and I would often go with her. She did not mind shlepping along my car seats and my children.” Rebbetzin Bluma Kostelitz, another close friend who did not drive when she first moved to Baltimore said, “Every morning, Rochel would call me and say, ‘Today I am going to such and such a place. Do you want to come with me?’ I never had to call her, because she called me first. “
For many years, Rochel helped Mrs. Chana Bamberger with the Bais Yaakov certificates, going to pick up money and certificates from the vendors every week. Mrs. Bamberger recalls, “Rochel sold certificates in her home. She did not just sell certificates to people who requested them but also called people and asked them what they needed that week and sometimes even delivered the certificates to their homes.”
“Rochel was very proud of her work for Bais Yaakov,” says her good friend Linda Weiss. “Whenever she took on a project, she did it with her whole heart and soul. It became part of her, and she would never give it up.” I personally know that she was a loyal driver for Bikur Cholim, always ready to help when she was called.
Whenever one of the neighbors had a simcha, Rochel was the first one to come help cut up fruits and vegetables, and she set them up beautifully, whether for a kiddush, sheva brachos, or a vort. When a friend and neighbor broke her foot, Rochel was the first to come over and made herself at home in the kitchen, helping prepare for the upcoming Yom Tov. Mrs. Elkie Kleiner, who has lived across the street from the Globermans for more than 30 years, says, “When my husband was sick and could not go to shul, Rochel took it upon herself to arrange a minyan in our house on Friday night. She made phone calls and made sure that we would have the 10 men each week.”
She was a very loyal member of Machazekei Torah and could be seen walking to shul with her husband almost every Shabbos. Rebbetzin Kostelitz describes Rochel’s role in the shul: “Rochel was welcoming and friendly to everyone. She made all newcomers feel like a part of the shul. When the shul had a kiddush or other function, Rochel helped prepare, and if something was missing she would take care of it herself.”
Rochel was a wonderful wife. She worked hard to prepare delicacies that her husband would enjoy when he came home from his work at Empire. Her house was always spotless and beautiful. Although she lived in a small apartment, she took great pride in making sure that everything was clean, organized, and tastefully decorated.
She was very easy to get along with. I don’t think anyone ever had an argument with her. Everything was always, “Baruch Hashem” and “no problem.” As Rebbetzin Kostelitz, says, “Rochel always made sure not to hurt anybody’s feelings. If someone did something that seemed to be wrong, she would find an excuse for them, so that others would understand and not blame them.”
Her friends and neighbors miss her very much.
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Rochel Canterman was a young mother of four sons. Her oldest son Yaakov became bar mitzva right after Pesach, and her youngest son Aaron is just two. Rochel and her husband Shmuel came to the United States from Kishinev, Moldova, about 10 years ago. On their very first Shabbos in Baltimore, they came to our house for Shabbos lunch. They were introduced to us by my father, who knew them from his work in a yeshiva in Kishinev. In the 10 years that they have been here, the family has become integrated and beloved to the community.
Chana Gitty Hazins, a good friend, who has known the Cantermans since they arrived, remembers Rochel Canterman: “Rochel’s most outstanding midda was her sincerity. She was such a genuine person, eager to learn and to do everything in the right way. She devoted herself to her children and her husband and to running her home properly. She wanted her children to be happy and entertained but also wanted them to have the best education and not to be lazy. She always made me feel good when we got together, because she was so happy to see me. She was interested in my life and my children and remembered to ask about all the details.”
Another midda that was very special about Rochel was her wonderful kibud aim. She and her mother had such a beautiful relationship. Although they spent a lot of time together, and her mother helped her tremendously when she was not well, there was never any friction between them. Rochel treated her mother with great respect and was always concerned about her welfare. Although Rochel was sick for a long time, she never ever complained or talked about her illness. She was filled with the joy of life, always wanting to learn more and practice what she learned.
“From the age of 18, when Rochel began living as a religious Jew, she never wanted to be left out of any mitzva. Even in Kishinev, she gravitated towards any woman who was available to teach her and to learn with her. She wasn’t interested in short cuts. As Rabbi Berger mentioned at her sheloshim, although Rochel had many excuses and reasons not to do certain mitzvos, she never wanted to take the easy way out. She always called to ask shailos to see if there was a way that she could participate in each mitzva. “For example,” Rabbi Berger explained, “Every year for many years I would expect a phone call from Rochel before Tisha b’Av and before Yom Kippur. She always wanted to know if there was some way that she could fast even for part of the day.”
Yehudis Rochel Novice, a good friend, describes, “Our husbands learned together, and I often sat next to Rochel at siyumim that our husbands made. It made her so happy and proud that her husband and children were learning Torah.” Yehudis Rochel and Rochel also learned together in a learning chabura (group) for women every Thursday. Yehudis Rochel continues, “Each woman in the group prepared one section of the parsha. Although English was not her first language, Rochel bought sefarim in English and prepared a section each week. It was so important to her. After her son Moshe was born, she would bring him in a stroller, and when he got too old to sit in his stroller, the chabura moved to her house so that she could still participate.” (The chabura continues, although without Rochel’s presence.) “We sometimes had small parties in our chabura,” says Yehudis Rochel, “and in her very gentle undemanding way, Rochel always made sure that all the food had the highest standards of kashrus.”
Sarah Rivka Schleifer, another close friend, describes her feelings: “I think a person’s virtue is really put to the test when he is not in a state of power and control. Rochel’s yiras Shamayim was so strong and genuine it really shone through very clearly when she was in bed at the hospital. One could see how careful she was to follow every detail of halacha even under such difficult circumstances. Her amen was like none I have ever heard. One could actually acquire yiras Shamayim just from hearing her say amen with so much kavana. For Rochel there was not such thing as shver tzu zan a Yid (It’s hard to be a Jew) rather that it’s a zechus tzu zan a Yid (a privilege). Her priorities in life were so clear and simple. What is really important for a Yiddishe mamme was so apparent to her. I think we all have so much to learn from her and should try to emulate her ways. She was a true eishes chayil and an isha gedola.”
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It was inspiring to me to write this article and speak with the friends of Rochel Globerman and Rochel Canterman. It seems that it is only after a person dies that friends feel free to speak about the individual’s greatness. It was awesome to hear about the small things and not-so-small things that make a person great. I will miss both these women.
