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Stories & Memories of Mrs Leah Miriam Heidingsfeld

By: Miriam Rogers/Guttman June 14

A Beautiful Wonderful Kind Mother and Wife

BDE, It was such a shock to hear of the passing of Mrs. Heidingsfeld and wishing all her family a long life.
I was truly blessed to have met her. She changed my life and she made my life so much better. Her kindness to me was unlimited. She and her husband allowed me into their home, provided meals and looked after me in all ways. It is only with age and after having a child I fully realized and appreciated how much her and her entire family did for me and sacrificed for me.
I was a very shy girl and terrified of doing the wrong thing but she and all her family accepted me for who I was. She never criticized or corrected me. I remember being so scared when I first arrived and I sat in her chair at the dinner table and neither her nor Mr Heidingsfeld told me to move. I realized I was in the wrong chair but I was too scared to move. She was so tolerant. I remember she would often sing hanging out the washing. One day recently I was a bit over doing all the washing and I thought of Mrs Heidingsfeld singing and decided to try it. Wow, it was fantastic and made washing and other chores so much easier. I now love hanging out the washing and even other chores and I always think of her whenever I sing and thank her silently in my head. I remember her every time. I also remember one day a lady asking how she was and Mrs Heidingsfeld had quite a severe cold She happily and enthusiastically said "Baruch Hashem I have a cold. " I had learnt everything is always good and to say thank you but I remember how she was really and truly happy and wondering how she did this. I was so impressed. I try now to really believe bitter things are good and I always think of her as a guide to how happy I should really be. I was amazed and can see she was truly successful at internalizing everything is good. She and her husband also gave me a Rabbi Twerski book to help my confidence. She tried to help me kindly and gently in every way possible. Her kindness really knew no bounds. She and her family also gave me my own room even when space was limited. Once I had my own family I realized what a huge sacrifice this was and appreciated more and more all that she did for me. Whenever there were lollies, cakes , special food, Bar Mitzvahs invitations, lunch invitations etc she always included me as part of her family and said she really wanted me to join and come with them. I remember always be so amazed at how kind she was to me and how she really did consider me part of her family. I remember speaking to a Rebbetzin who asked me if I was staying in her house and the Rebbetzim said Mrs Heingdinsfeld was a tzaddakess. I remember agreeing and thinking she really was as she did so much kindness. and was happy to do it. I remember when her and her family planned to moved to Melbourne she sat me down and told me what was happening and how she really wanted me to come with them and she would keep looking after me and there was definitely a place for me etc. I can't imagine any other mother doing this. I remember her delicious cooking and her amazing organisation especially at Pesach and how we all helped in the kitchen cutting and peeling around the table. She really made me feel valued, included, important and a true member of her family.
I remember sending her money years later as I realized how much she spent on me and how she explained I didn't need to send her money, her checking I could really afford to give her anything and her saying how she wanted to look after me and it wasn't neccessary. It was quite hard to give her any money! I read recently that sometimes a really great soul is taken from this world as we need an advocate in Heaven. When I heard of her passing my first thought was that she must have been needed as our advocate in Heaven.

 
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