BDE: The Rebbetzin of the Shefa Chaim of Klausenberg, zt”l.
The Sanz-Klausenberger Kehillos around the world were plunged into mourning motzei Shabbos with the sad news of the passing of Rebbetzin Chaya Nechama Halberstam, a”h, the Rebbetzin of the previous Klausenberger rebbe, Rav Yekusiel Yehuda Halberstam, zt”l.
She was 96 years of age.
She is remembered as a woman of valor who stood at the side of her husband in all of his enormous endeavors for Klal Yisroel In the United States and in Eretz Yisroel.
The story of the rebbe who has lost as wife and eleven children in Churba Europa is well-known. When he emerged from the inferno, he was aflame with a burning desire to rebuild.
Rebbetzin Chaya Nechama (Née Unger) was the daughter of the previous Nitra Rov, Rav Shmiel Duvid Unger, zt”l.
Following the war, she was a young girl of twenty, and the rebbe was already in his forties. But he promised her “we will have children, and we will marry them off together.” The rebbe passed away in 1994, seven years after the marriage of their seventh child.
Together they rebuilt a family of Admorim and Ge’onim—and a beautiful Klausenberger chassidus.
Among their seven children are the Sanzer Rebbe shlit”a who presides over the rebbes Kiryat Sanz in Netanya, and the Sanz-Klausenbeger Rebbe shlita who took his fathers place in New York.
Their daughters were married to The Zvehiller Rebbe of Union City, Rav Dov Weiss, Rav Ephraim Fischel Motzen, Rav Shaul Yehuda Prizant of Union City, and Rav Eliezer Dovid Shapiro Rav of Chasidei Sanz-Bnei Brak.
In recent months, the Rebbetzin was unwell. Klal Yisroel Watched as her illustrious sons—summoner to her bedside by their mother—camped out outside her hospital room, engaging in their avodah of Torah and tefillah, and beseeching on High for her recovery.
Yehi Zichra Baruch.