TOBA CIK

October 16, 1923 - September 6, 2020

FAMILY GRAVESIDE SERVICE: 2:00 PM MONDAY 9/7/2020 (TODAY) at WORKMEN'S CIRCLE CEMETERY TO WATCH A LIVE ZOOM OF THE FUNERAL SERVICE PLEASE CLICK ON THE FOLLOWING LINK: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/2113215461?pwd=clRYZUxnRURadTJpUjVDY3VBNkZEdz09 PASSWORD: Family Age 96, of Southfield, died September 6, 2020. A Holocaust Survivor. Beloved wife to the late Moshe Cik. Devoted mother of Judy (Jacob) Ishakis, Eva (Irv) Chesner and Fay (Ira) Geffner. The last of 6 siblings, Toba is the cherished sister to the late Syril Blumenfeld, late Frayda Katz, late Tzvie Katz, late Dovid Katz and the late Chaim Wolf Katz. Also survived by many grandchildren, great-grandchildren and great-great-grandchildren, other relatives and friends. INTERMENT: Beth Yehuda Section of Workmen's Circle Cemetery SHIVA: An Outdoor Shiva will be held depending on the weather. The family will observe Shiva through Friday daily from: 10:00 am to 12:00 noon and then from 4:00 pm to 6:00 pm On Friday the family will only observe the morning hours The family will have private Shiva services. CONTRIBUTIONS: If you would like to further honor the memory of TOBA CIK you may do so by making a contribution to: YESHIVA BETH YEHUDA P. O. Box 2044 Southfield, MI 48037 248.557.6750 www.detroityeshiva.org or A CHARITY OF YOUR CHOICE A WORD FROM THE FAMILY. First and foremost on behalf of the entire mishpacha I would like to thank my Mother and Father for demonstrating for all of us true Kibud Av V’aim with the way that they attended to and took care of both Bubby and Zaidy in their later years. Mom and Dad your patience was immeasurable and the way you kept Bubby & Zaidy involved in all of our lives gave them a sense of purpose and a desire to see another day, another Simcha, etc. Bubby, Esther Toba bas Yaakov Yosef Hakohein, was born on Simchas Torah 1923 in Dibiva Checkoslavakia, the firstborn child of her parents Yaakov Yosef and Batsheva Katz. Her family were Chasidim of the Vizhnitzer Rebbe. Her reverence for what the Rebbe represented was manifest whenever she spoke about her encounters with the Rebbe. After the war the young survivors met with the Vizhnitzer Rebbe and he asked each of their names, when Bubby stated her name, the Rebbe started talking about her father, grandfather, and other family members, she was shocked and elated that a Rebbe with thousands of Chasidim knew and remembered, what she considered her ordinary family. In 2006 I had the opportunity to visit the Ohel of the Vizhniter Rebbes in B’nai Brak, I called Bubby while I was there and told her where I was. She was silent and it felt that she was back in time remembering those encounters that gave her so much chizuk. Bubby was orphaned of her father before the war and as the oldest of six children she did not have it easy, but she always looked out and did for others with a smile. She went through the camps with her sister and sister-in-law. I heard a story that when they were on a forced march, a farmer came out to feed his pigs a pail of steaming potatoes. Bubby went and took the potatoes from the pigs so that she could feed those around her. Bubby never stopped feeding people. She would always make extra fish and chicken soup to send to my mother for Shabbos. When I moved to town, my wife Devorah would make her own soup. One week Devorah wasn’t feeling well and I bought soup from the carryout. When Zaidy found out he was upset – Di Koift vaaser, Di Babba can macht far dir Zoup. From that week on, until about two years ago Bubby made us and then my brothers and sister our soup for Shabbos. She would use a huge pot that she put on the stove and filled it using smaller pots that she could carry and then reverse the process when the soup was finished. In her older years when she wanted to move her stove and refrigerator to clean for Pesach, she would wait erev Shabbos with her mop and pail for her grandsons to come eat kugel and pick up their Shabbos package. Whoever was first in would move the fridge for her and she’d clean behind it and then she’d wait for the next “customer” to come and slide it back into place. In her later years, she spoke of some of what happened during the war. When Shavous would come, she would recall her arrival in Auschwitz on the second day of Shavous. At bar mitzvahs and other simchos she would often come down with a headache. When asked why this seemed to always happen at a simcha, she replied that she didn’t understand why she was zoche to survive and see these simchos when others were not. Later on, when I believe she felt that she was seeing the results of her efforts when attending brissim, Bar/Bat Mitzvahs, and weddings she would state, “Now I understand why I survived Hitler didn’t win!” Bubby was always cognizant of the koach of Eiyan Horah, so much so that she kept the pictures of her great-grandchildren on her refrigerator out of sight to the casual visitor to her home. When asked how many great-grandchildren she had she would answer “You count money not children”. Yet she would tell people she was a rich lady from all the nachas she had. When someone would call to share the good news they were expecting they would tell her she would get another dividend. Even when Bubby was weak and a little out of sorts she was always concerned with lighting licht for Shabbos & Yom Tov. I am sure that words of the Tefflos of licht bentchen played a major role in the Pairos she left behind I feel like I never heard a bad or angry word from Bubby. She always had a listening ear and her ever-present smile. She treated every child like one of her own, although there might have been an extra kitkat or candy for a great-grandchild. Bubby had favorites and if you asked anyone who that was, that person would most probably sheepishly answer about themselves “ME”. Bubby was a true Ezer Kinegdo, while Zaidy had a little bit of a bark, he was ultimately a softy. Bubby was always there to assist him in his endeavors, from getting up at 3 in the morning to drive him to work to schlepping around town so that he could get the best deal on paper goods and tuna fish for the shul’s shalosh seudos. I’ve never seen someone do such a good job of letting her husband think he was in charge. When I was engaged, Bubby overheard a conversation between my kallah and myself. Apparently she did not like what I said or how I said it and even though I tried to explain myself she said to me, “Hant is nischt the zelba Shulchan Aruch fun de Zaide”, That’s not the way you talk to your kallah. Often Bubby would tell over how she came by herself to this country in 1958 to see if Detroit was a place that she could continue to raise a frum family. Despite much-unsolicited advice to the contrary, she sought out the administration of Yeshiva Beth Yehuda and met with Rabbis’ Goldstein and Friedman about enrolling her daughters, even though they did not have a source of income to pay tuition. They responded that she shouldn’t worry and just enroll the children. Bubby and Zaidy never forgot that kindness and for many years would respond generously to the shuls Rosh Hashanah appeal for the Yeshiva. For many years after Zaidy’s petirah, Bubby was careful to write a check to the Yeshiva in the same amount around the Yomim Noraim. Bubby believed that a person should have a way to earn a living without sacrificing his or her yiddeshkeit. Her descendants include Teachers, Rabbaim, Lawyers, Doctors, Business Professionals, and Therapists that are all shomrey Torah U’mitzvos. Bubby was fearful of her children or grandchildren drifting away from Yiddishkeit. One Purim approximately 20 years ago she observed her great-grandchildren playing “Shabbos Table”. She turned to her daughter and proclaimed “Now I can die”. Shocked her daughter asked what she meant. Bubby replied, “I was worried about my children being frum then I worried about my Grandchildren, now that I see it in my Great-Grandchildren I know I have done my job and can go”. B”H she was with us a lot longer and merited to see one of those children establish her home and start raising her own children following in Bubby’s path. On behalf of the entire mishpacha, I want to ask mechila from Bubby for failing to be Mechabed you properly or anything else we might have inadvertently done. I am sure that in following everything you taught us There will be a lot of Torah learnt, Tzdokah given and Maasim tovim performed in your zechus. I am sure you will be a Mailtz yosher for the family. I want to thank you for being our loving Bubby and for being moser nefesh to lay down the firm foundations that our family continues to grow upon T’hei Nishmasa B’tzror Hachaim