Mady and Ethan Kra
Our Beloved Sister-in-Law
מרים ליבא
The day we lost Midge, we lost our best friend and a wonderful sister-in-law who acted like a sister to us. Mere words cannot capture how much we loved and treasured her.
Midge’s Hebrew name, מרים ליבא, captured the essence of her wonderful personality traits. When בני ישראל traveled in the desert, their source of water was in the merit of Miriam, מרים. Midge too was a wellspring that sustained many people in her life.
On countless occasions over the past 38 years, our family partook of Midge’s well of caring and kindness. As young newlyweds with no cooking experience, we received excellent recipes and cooking instructions from Midge. To this day, our go-to recipes for meatloaf, ratatouille and marble brownies are Midge’s. In May of 1979, Midge, together with our cousin Marion Jacobson, did a marvelous job catering Yossi’s bris right in our home.
Our children were very fortunate to grow up in West Orange with Aunt Midge and Uncle David and cousins Abby, Yoni and Dani. When Yossi was only eleven months old, we did not hesitate to leave him in the care of Midge and David and fly off to California for a convention. Yossi was fed and cuddled right along baby Abby. Midge’s only concern was that “Yosselberry Dumpling”, her nickname for Yossi, would take his first steps while we were away.
When Rachel was a baby, for a full school year, Midge watched her and adorable little Yoni, in their warm, loving home on Hoover Avenue. This afforded Mady the opportunity to teach. Midge treated Rachel like a daughter, and our appreciation knew no bounds.
About twenty years later, for bride-to-be Rachel, Midge and Abby threw a lovely shower in their Cleveland Terrace home, that was, as always, warm and loving.
Our son Josh also benefited from spending time with Aunt Midge and Uncle David. They would open up their home to him when we went on vacation, and they understood his wacky sense of humor. Midge just laughed when Abby called Mady “Aunt Beautiful”, and in return, Josh called her “Aunt Ugly”.
Over the years, our families shared beautiful Shabbos, Chanukah, Purim and Yom Tov feasts and some remarkable Pesach sedarim. Of course, with so many Kra family members hailing from New England, Thanksgiving was an important holiday that was celebrated with great “relish” at Midge and David’s home.
The love that Midge showed her family and friends was embodied by her middle named Liba, ליבא. She loved boundlessly, and was beloved in return.
From the moment David introduced us to Midge in 1975 on Simchat Torah in Manhattan, we felt connected. How could we not love Midge? She was sweet, bright, funny and a lot of fun! Through one dark period in our lives, Midge kept our spirits up by telling every dumb-blonde joke she could find on the Internet. We cried and laughed our way through the vicissitudes of life, and it was Midge’s positive attitude that kept us afloat.
Midge’s funeral was held on the Yahrzeit of רחל אמינו, Rachel our Matriarch, on the 11th day of Mar-Cheshvan:
רָחֵל מְבַכָּה עַל-בָּנֶיהָ
Rachel is weeping over her children
We are crying along with רחל אמינו. Midge’s loss leaves an aching hole in our hearts and in the hearts of all whom she loved and nurtured. We shall miss her always.
Our Beloved Sister-in-Law
מרים ליבא
The day we lost Midge, we lost our best friend and a wonderful sister-in-law who acted like a sister to us. Mere words cannot capture how much we loved and treasured her.
Midge’s Hebrew name, מרים ליבא, captured the essence of her wonderful personality traits. When בני ישראל traveled in the desert, their source of water was in the merit of Miriam, מרים. Midge too was a wellspring that sustained many people in her life.
On countless occasions over the past 38 years, our family partook of Midge’s well of caring and kindness. As young newlyweds with no cooking experience, we received excellent recipes and cooking instructions from Midge. To this day, our go-to recipes for meatloaf, ratatouille and marble brownies are Midge’s. In May of 1979, Midge, together with our cousin Marion Jacobson, did a marvelous job catering Yossi’s bris right in our home.
Our children were very fortunate to grow up in West Orange with Aunt Midge and Uncle David and cousins Abby, Yoni and Dani. When Yossi was only eleven months old, we did not hesitate to leave him in the care of Midge and David and fly off to California for a convention. Yossi was fed and cuddled right along baby Abby. Midge’s only concern was that “Yosselberry Dumpling”, her nickname for Yossi, would take his first steps while we were away.
When Rachel was a baby, for a full school year, Midge watched her and adorable little Yoni, in their warm, loving home on Hoover Avenue. This afforded Mady the opportunity to teach. Midge treated Rachel like a daughter, and our appreciation knew no bounds.
About twenty years later, for bride-to-be Rachel, Midge and Abby threw a lovely shower in their Cleveland Terrace home, that was, as always, warm and loving.
Our son Josh also benefited from spending time with Aunt Midge and Uncle David. They would open up their home to him when we went on vacation, and they understood his wacky sense of humor. Midge just laughed when Abby called Mady “Aunt Beautiful”, and in return, Josh called her “Aunt Ugly”.
Over the years, our families shared beautiful Shabbos, Chanukah, Purim and Yom Tov feasts and some remarkable Pesach sedarim. Of course, with so many Kra family members hailing from New England, Thanksgiving was an important holiday that was celebrated with great “relish” at Midge and David’s home.
The love that Midge showed her family and friends was embodied by her middle named Liba, ליבא. She loved boundlessly, and was beloved in return.
From the moment David introduced us to Midge in 1975 on Simchat Torah in Manhattan, we felt connected. How could we not love Midge? She was sweet, bright, funny and a lot of fun! Through one dark period in our lives, Midge kept our spirits up by telling every dumb-blonde joke she could find on the Internet. We cried and laughed our way through the vicissitudes of life, and it was Midge’s positive attitude that kept us afloat.
Midge’s funeral was held on the Yahrzeit of רחל אמינו, Rachel our Matriarch, on the 11th day of Mar-Cheshvan:
רָחֵל מְבַכָּה עַל-בָּנֶיהָ
Rachel is weeping over her children
We are crying along with רחל אמינו. Midge’s loss leaves an aching hole in our hearts and in the hearts of all whom she loved and nurtured. We shall miss her always.