Washington Jewish Week Article

Washington Jewish Week Article about Zlata

 

Zlata Geisinsky, educator, Chabad emissary, 49
On Tuesday morning, the Melvin J. Berman Hebrew Academy's preschool held its graduation ceremony. But its longtime director was not present.

Zlata Geisinsky, who served as director of the Rockville preschool for nearly two decades, died Sunday from cancer, according to a family member. She was 49.

Geisinsky also is remembered for her tireless work on behalf of the Chabad of Bethesda-Chevy Chase, which is run by her husband, Rabbi Benzion Geisinsky.

Though she was absent from Berman's preschool graduation, attendees say Zlata Geisinsky's "warm and engaging" presence could still be felt at the ceremony.

"The whole event was her planning," said Diana Epstein, a former president of the Hebrew Academy and longtime friend of Geisinsky's. "This was her event."

Parents and teachers, Epstein said, were plunged into a "state of shock" upon learning of Geisinsky's sudden death over the weekend.

Asked what mark the educator has left on Berman's preschool, Headmaster Joshua Levisohn, said: "The entire preschool is her legacy. There isn't a parent or teacher who will argue -- the entire preschool was shaped in her image and she will be irreplaceable."

According to family members, coworkers and acquaintances, Geisinsky was a revered community anchor who never let on that she was ill. Even in her final weeks, they say, Geisinsky worked tirelessly to perpetuate the tenets of Judaism throughout Greater Washington.

"She was a person who never worked for herself," said Sender Geisinsky, 27, the family's eldest son. Though his mother was "carrying this illness for longer than anyone knew" -- likely several months -- she never said a word.

"For months, basically, she was aware something was wrong, but was too busy," spending her days helping others -- and she would have it no other way, said Sender Geisinsky, who lives in Bethesda.

He added: "My father said he knew things were serious when he was able to keep up with her."

The sickness caught up with Zlata Geisinsky on Wednesday of last week, when, after finally visiting a doctor, she was told to immediately seek treatment in a hospital. Her condition turned grave quickly thereafter.

Rabbi Shmuel Kaplan, Chabad of Maryland's regional director, said that Geisinsky exhibited a rare level of selflessness.

"It just shows you, she'd been ill for a couple of months, but kept up with what she was doing," said Kaplan, who first hired the Geisinskys to head up the Chabad of Rockville in the early 1980s.

"You're talking about a lifetime of dedication, and she never made an issue of it -- it was natural," Kaplan said.

Geisinsky, who was raised in the Crown Heights neighborhood of Brooklyn, N.Y., learned about "self-sacrifice and devotion" at an early age, Kaplan noted, as her grandparents had emigrated from Soviet Russia.

After helming a Chabad center in Rockville for around eight years, the Geisinskys relocated with the center to Potomac, where they spent another 10 years building up Chabad in that community. The pair moved to Bethesda nearly 11 years ago to plant the seeds for a now-thriving Chabad center.

Throughout the years, Geisinsky spearheaded several adult education initiatives and Jewish Women's Circle. She also oversaw Camp Gan Israel in Bethesda, along with her husband, and supervised the Potomac Chabad's mikvah.

Izzy Zaiderman, 66, from Potomac, who's known the Geisinskys for nearly 30 years, said the death of his friend "still hasn't registered because there is no way to register this shock."

The Bethesda Chabad, Zaiderman said, was built upon Geisinsky's mighty sprit.

"I cannot even envision that Chabad house without her," he said. "It's eerie walking through there without her."

Zaiderman recalled that among members of the community, "the biggest prize was to be invited for Shabbat dinner from Zlata -- we're still talking about her blintzes."

Reka Von Fegyverneky, a 39-year-old Bethesda resident, credits Geisinsky with helping to revitalize her interest in Judaism.

"There was just something about Zlata that really hit me and made me want to reach out to my Jewish roots" Von Fegyverneky recalled Tuesday in an interview. "It was just amazing how she connected with everybody."

And while Geisinsky died at a young age, Von Fegyverneky believes "she lived more of a full life than most people ever will."

Added Sender Geisinsky: "This entire community has lost its mother."

In addition to her husband and son, Geisinsky is survived by five other children, Aidie Shusterman of Beverly Hills, Calif., Rochie Charytan of Maryland, and Mushky, Mendy and Moishe; her mother, Asya Dubrawsky of the Crown Heights section of Brooklyn, N.Y.; siblings Sara Gurewitz of Lyons, France, Fitche Dubrawsky of Curitiba, Brazil, Lipa Dubrawsky of Vancouver, Canada, Mira Labkowsky of Los Angeles and Chana Katzman of Staten Island, N.Y.; and six grandchildren.

 

 

Regards,

Mendel

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Rabbi Mendel Kaplan

Friendship Circle - Executive Director

11621 Seven Locks Rd, Potomac, MD 20854

p. 301.433.4524 / c. 240.543.4153

web: www.fcmd.org