{"id":2462,"date":"2023-01-05T13:10:28","date_gmt":"2023-01-05T18:10:28","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/thevoiceoflakewood.com\/?p=2462"},"modified":"2023-01-05T13:10:33","modified_gmt":"2023-01-05T18:10:33","slug":"everbodys-mother","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/thevoiceoflakewood.com\/everbodys-mother\/","title":{"rendered":"Everybody’s Mother"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

A tribute to Mrs. Tzippy Hess A\u201dH<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Elisheva Braun<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Tzippy Hess\u2019s brokenhearted friends and relatives all used the same descriptions to define her. It\u2019s almost as if they were reading from a synchronized script.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

They all spoke of her modesty, humility, and selflessness; her love of Shabbos and Yom Tov, her passion for cooking delicious food, her delight in hosting and helping and giving. Completely uninterested in materialism, Tzippy had an unquenchable desire for growth and was never complacent with her spiritual status quo.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Her devotion, love, and loyalty to her husband and children knew no bounds. But Tzippy\u2019s heart stretched further than her family. Relatives, neighbors, patients at the doctor\u2019s office, even strangers, were all drawn to her quiet magnetism. Innumerable people were warmed and ignited by the glowing sun that was Tzippy Hess.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Soft, warm, caring, and humble, she was the true role model of a frum<\/em> woman, the quintessential eishes chayil.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Young aspirations<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI shared my life with Tzippy,\u201d says Chaya,* whose lifelong friendship with her started when they were little girls, continued during their school years in Yeshiva of Brooklyn and stayed strong throughout adulthood.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIn school, Tzippy knew how to be friends with anyone, no matter who they were or what they were struggling with. She just knew how to make people feel good. She respected them for who they were. Her inner derech eretz<\/em> and sensitivity also didn\u2019t allow her to misbehave in class, even when everyone else did.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Tzippy\u2019s compassion for others went beyond her years. \u201cWhen she took babysitting jobs, Tzippy didn\u2019t sit on the couch and schmooze on the phone. She\u2019d clean up, wash the dishes, scrub the counter\u2026 She felt bad for the poor, overworked mother. \u2018I can\u2019t leave the house this way. The mother is exhausted. She can\u2019t come home to this mess.\u2019 Tzippy would say.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cTzippy was always hungry for ruchniyus. <\/em>She was constantly listening to shiurim<\/em> and reading sefarim<\/em>, always improving in bitachon, shemiras halashon, tefillah<\/em>, and more.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The nurturer<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Tzippy was everyone\u2019s mother. As a young girl, she was so kind to her younger siblings, always making them feel good about themselves. Later, her own children became her entire world; every moment of her life revolved around their happiness and success.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIt didn\u2019t matter the cost, time, or effort involved. Tzippy stopped at nothing to give her kids what they needed,\u201d a friend says.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Her superhuman patience and affection for her children was unmistakable; Tzippy\u2019s kids say their mother almost never raised her voice. Indeed, her incredible parenting is evident in the uniquely special people her children are today.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It didn\u2019t end with her children. Tzippy was the Mommy of the neighborhood.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cShe derived real joy from making children happy. She loved them all so much,\u201d a neighbor shares. \u201cOne hot, humid Shabbos afternoon, the neighborhood kids were all hot and hyper. When it started to rain, Tzippy invited everyone into her house and served the kids popcorn and freeze pops. The children\u2019s happiness gave her such joy.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Extended family<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Tzippy Montag was just 12 years old when her mother passed away. She spoke about her mother all the time and never forgot the searing, crushing loss she endured. Perhaps it was this pain that granted Tzippy her profound empathy. She saw people\u2014really saw them, not for their outer trappings and struggles but for the holy neshamos<\/em> hidden underneath. Her bond with others was deep and unbreakable.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cSomehow, Tzippy always had an \u2018extra\u2019 cake to give me around my mother\u2019s yahrtzeit<\/em>,\u201d a friend shared.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

As Chaya says, \u201cShe treasured her friends and went out of her way to keep in touch with them. Once you were in her life, Tzippy didn\u2019t forget you.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cTzippy had a huge heart. She was so happy to share anything she had, whether it was a pot of soup, medical knowledge, extra bedrooms, a trip to Costco, or simply a piece of her heart,\u201d says her sister.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A close friend and past neighbor of Tzippy remembers her first impression of her.<\/em> \u201cI saw a real tzanua<\/em>; a refined woman with an unshakeably calm manner. Another friend who lived in one of the eight apartments her husband managed says, \u201cShe never let us tenants call her the landlady. She was a friend, a confidante, the place to go for a good schmooze, a listening ear, or a piece of hot, fresh potato kugel.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI used her washing machine for two weeks when my old one broke,\u201d one neighbor remembers. \u201cA tenant who didn\u2019t own a milchig<\/em> oven would make pizza every Thursday night. The woman would pass the pizza tray over the porch, and Tzippy would bake it and pass it back. For a third family, Tzippy had a tradition of making them their Erev Pesach meal, since they didn\u2019t own kosher-for-Pesach dishes and always went to their hosts for Yom Tov at the last minute.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

On another plane<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Materialism didn\u2019t mean anything to Tzippy. When the family built their house, Tzippy wasn\u2019t involved in picking tiles and paint colors; she simply didn\u2019t care. In fact, just before the Hesses moved into their new home, they allowed a neighbor to host a Shabbos bris<\/em> in it. \u201cWe\u2019re not using it now,\u201d she said simply. \u201cWhy shouldn\u2019t you enjoy it?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In the Hess home,Fridays were relaxing days. Tzippy set the table and cooked the food on Thursdays. She was dressed and reading books to her children on Erev Shabbos. During her last weeks on earth, Tzippy anticipated Shabbos all week long. It was this passion for Shabbos that inspired her friends to take on kabbalos<\/em> in Shabbos preparation in her zechus<\/em>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Medical advice<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Tzippy manned Dr. Shanik\u2019s question desk for 20 years. She amassed tremendous medical knowledge, which she shared with anyone who needed it. Tzippy got medical calls at home, morning and night. She gave guidance with grace and humility, making each caller feel heard and helped.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Late one Friday night, a neighbor\u2019s child had an allergic reaction. Tzippy stayed with him until 3 a.m. when she felt comfortable that the child was okay.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIf you told Tzippy about your kid\u2019s ear infection, she asked about it the next time you spoke on the phone. She had everyone on her mind all the time,\u201d says a patient.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In hard times<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

People felt a magnetic pull to Tzippy\u2019s sickroom. \u201cAnyone who visited was drawn to come back again and again. Even when she could barely talk, Tzippy made you feel so good, so appreciated, that you just wanted to be there,\u201d shares her sister-in-law. \u201cThe children who visited were given lollipops, and Tzippy would notice and motion if someone didn\u2019t get one.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI had a baby when Tzippy was sick. She was so excited for me! Together with her nurse, she cooked supper for me and had a gift and two books sent over to my house,\u201d says her friend.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cAll her life, Tzippy was praising Hashem. She answered \u2018How are you\u2019 with \u2018Hodu l\u2019Hashem ki tov.\u2019<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Tzippy kept losing faculties: first the ability to walk, then to swallow, then to talk. She grappled with the worst of yissurim<\/em>, but she never complained, never asked questions, never doubted Hashem\u2019s kindness. With her last breaths, the name of Hashem was on Tzippy\u2019s lips. When asked how she was feeling, Tzippy would gather the strength to whisper \u2018Baruch Hashem.\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

As her sickness progressed, Tzippy\u2019s sister asked her, \u201cHow do you keep smiling and saying baruch Hashem<\/em>? After a few seconds of thought, Tzippy answered, \u201cI\u2019ll tell you three things: First, I listen to the emunah<\/em> and bitachon<\/em> hotline, which gives me a lot of chizuk<\/em>. Second, when I have a challenging day I pick up the phone and call Rabbi Yehuda Mandel. And last, I love Hashem. When I have these three things, everything else falls into place.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Saying goodbye  <\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Tzippy\u2019s levayah<\/em> took place last Thursday night. A sister-in-law noted, \u201cThe levayah<\/em> was exactly in Tzippy\u2019s style. It was Erev Shabbos, which she loved, and it took place in the dark, where the men could not see the women.\u201d Hundreds of people streamed to pay regard to the woman who loved, valued, and inspired them. The Lakewood Chapel was packed to overflowing, and people spilled out onto the grounds.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Rabbi Apter, the family rav<\/em>, was maspid, <\/em>as well asRav Malkiel Kotler, Rav Yeruchem Olshin, the Skulener Rebbe, Rabbi Shalom Mordechai Rubashkin, and Rav Henoch Shachar.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Tzippy\u2019s brothers-in-law spoke: R\u2019 Kalman Rothstein, R\u2019 Chesky Slomowitz, and R\u2019 Yisroel Meir Hess, followed by her brothers R\u2019 Moishy and R\u2019 Yitzy Montag and her sons Shimmy, Dovi, Boruch, and Aryeh. Rabbi Yoni Hess, Tzippy\u2019s husband, gave the final hesped<\/em>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It was well past midnight when the kevurah<\/em> was over and the grieving crowd finally dispersed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

*name has been changed<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

A tribute to Mrs. Tzippy Hess A\u201dH Elisheva Braun Tzippy Hess\u2019s brokenhearted friends and relatives all used the same descriptions to define her. It\u2019s almost as if they were reading from a synchronized script. They all spoke of her modesty, humility, and selflessness; her love of Shabbos and Yom Tov, her passion for cooking delicious […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":2253,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"site-sidebar-layout":"default","site-content-layout":"","ast-site-content-layout":"","site-content-style":"default","site-sidebar-style":"default","ast-global-header-display":"","ast-banner-title-visibility":"","ast-main-header-display":"","ast-hfb-above-header-display":"","ast-hfb-below-header-display":"","ast-hfb-mobile-header-display":"","site-post-title":"","ast-breadcrumbs-content":"","ast-featured-img":"","footer-sml-layout":"","theme-transparent-header-meta":"","adv-header-id-meta":"","stick-header-meta":"","header-above-stick-meta":"","header-main-stick-meta":"","header-below-stick-meta":"","astra-migrate-meta-layouts":"default","ast-page-background-enabled":"default","ast-page-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"ast-content-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"footnotes":""},"categories":[11],"tags":[20],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/thevoiceoflakewood.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2462"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/thevoiceoflakewood.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/thevoiceoflakewood.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/thevoiceoflakewood.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/thevoiceoflakewood.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2462"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/thevoiceoflakewood.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2462\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2469,"href":"https:\/\/thevoiceoflakewood.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2462\/revisions\/2469"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/thevoiceoflakewood.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2253"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/thevoiceoflakewood.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2462"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/thevoiceoflakewood.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2462"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/thevoiceoflakewood.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2462"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}