Rebbetzin Jungreis, A’H, a pioneer in kiruv work

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Rebbetzin Esther Jugreis, a”h, founder of HINENI and pioneer in the world of kiruv/outreach, was niftar on Tuesday. Her levaya was scheduled for Wednesday at 11 am at Agudath Israel of Long Island, 1121 Sage St., Far Rockaway.

Her husband, HoRav Meshulem HaLevi Jungreis zt”l, was spiritual leader of Congregation Ohr HaTorah in North Woodmere for 33 years. After his passing, she lived in Lawrence.

Rebbetzin Jungreis was born in 1936 in Szeged, Hungagy, where her father, HoRav Avrohom HaLevi Jungreis zt”l, was chief rabbi.

A Shoah survivor, she made it her life mission to reignite the spark of authentic Yiddishkeit among Jews who were heading astray.

With the Rebbetzin’s petirah, k’lal Yisroel has suffered an irreplaceable loss,” HINENI said in statement, which continued:

“The rebbetzin was a trailblazer, for over a half century, crisscrossing the globe with her message of loving-kindness and hope. She was a teacher of Torah to millions of Jews from every walk of life.

“She spent her life showing the beauty of Yiddishkeit to Jews across the globe, bringing countless neshomos back to their roots.

“The rebbetzin waged a fierce battle against interfaith marriages, secularization, and other forms of assimilation, which she firmly believed was an existential threat to the continued existence of k’lal Yisroel.”

The rebbetzin was a long-running columnist for the Jewish Press of Brooklyn.

In 2014, she wrote about her years in the Five Towns:

“My husband and I were pioneers. When we came to North Woodmere it was a community of Jews but not a Jewish community. We faced an uphill climb demanding much sacrifice, struggle and pain. The sacrifice was not only ours but our small children’s as well. We charged them with the same responsibility: ‘Go out there, make friends, and bring them home for Shabbos’.”

“The many thousands of individuals who were fortunate enough to receive her brocho immediately felt the connection with this unique person,” HINENI said.

Rebbetzin Jungreis is survived by her children Chaya Sora Gertzulin, Rabbi Yisroel Jungreis, Slovi Wolff and Rabbi Osher Jungreis, and by many grandchildren and great grandchildren.

Baruch Dayan Haemes.