I first met Leah Miriam when she came to one of my chassidus classes. I remember her saying, “I didn’t know they had chassidus classes like this here in the valley.”

I didn’t teach very often because I didn’t like having to arrange and promote classes. She arranged her own shiur, and every other week when she went to Moorpark she would ask me to teach. Without her encouragement I don’t know if I would have continued. She always believed in me and I wanted to live up to that.

When classes moved to Zoom, she was able to teach more often, but she still asked me to fill in when she couldn’t teach. She was always so complimentary and she told me how much the ladies loved it when I taught. She motivated me to learn Chassidus in order to teach it.

She would also frequently invite me and my daughter for Shabbos meals, and she was somewhat of a mashpia for me. When I needed a sukkah or mezuzahs, she sent Rabbi Heidingsfeld to come help me.

She was one of the loveliest, most sincere, most mekushar people I have ever met. I write this story in tears because our world has lost a true tzadeikes.