Irreplaceable

I had the great privilege of knowing Zlata z”l in several of the many roles of her life, and she wore a great many “hats,” all of them with wisdom, grace and elegance.  I was fortunate to see her several times a week for the past 10 years as one at a time my children advanced through preschool, each forging a special relationship with Morah Zlata and each relishing the parsha she taught them every week with love.  Seeing her in the preschool hallway, behind the desk in her office and in the parking lot at carpool time was always positive – she always looked me straight in the eye no matter how busy she was, always offered a kind word, and always asked about something personal to me – one of her most endearing qualities was remembering each person’s special situations or challenges and asking about them with genuine concern, making every person feel special and loved.  As my first child was graduating preschool, Zlata made herself available for honest advice and guidance in choosing an elementary school, which proved instrumental to the overall spiritual growth of our family.  I thanked her then, and I still thank her today for her invaluable input and wise words.

 

“Zlata’s mikvah,” as I recently heard the Potomac mikvah referred to, is an apt description.  Zlata cared about every woman fulfilling the mitzvah, no matter how late at night, and always carefully pointed out the stairs to not trip down or the water on the floor to not slip on.  I would see her on general mikvah business there sometimes on nights when I was attending, and I was happy for the opportunity to chat with her in between immersions and always learn something new from her.  I am still grateful for the lovely attendant appreciation dinner a few years ago when Zlata cooked for us in Karen’s kitchen and made sure to let us know that we as attendants were not taken for granted.  A couple of years ago when our shul honored the three dedicated women who run the Potomac mikvah, Zlata, Karen and Nechama were hesitant to accept the honor, but did so only for the sake of the mikvah.

 

The last time I saw Zlata was at school, shortly after she returned from shiva for her father, z”l.  As I myself lost my father at an earlier age, I remarked that she had been blessed to have had her father for so many years.  Her response was, “It is never long enough.”  How true for us, too, that we did not have her with us long enough, but it is my sincere hope that the Geisinsky family find comfort in the wonderful, giving and dedicated woman that she was, in the Bayit Neeman that she built, and in all of the Jewish souls that she touched for the better.  We are grieving with you; Zlata will never be forgotten.

 

Rachelle Ferneau