Yad Vashem mourns the loss of Ruth Mitzner z”l, who passed away in Houston in August. Ruth and the Mitzner family are Benefactors of Yad Vashem.

Ruth (née Buchbinder) was born in Poland in 1918, and immigrated to the United States two years later. Her father, Rabbi Jacob Tuvia Buchbinder, led the largest Orthodox synagogue in Harlem, NY, and was a renowned Torah scholar. In 1935, he moved his family to Jerusalem, joining the staff of Rabbi Avraham Yitzhak Kook, the first Chief Rabbi of Israel. Ruth’s mother, Rebbetzin Batya Buchbinder z”l, was a distinguished teacher of Torah in her own right.

Ruth married David Mitzner, a Shoah survivor, in 1953. Her life centered on her commitment to the Jewish People and its future, as well as her deep love for Israel. In addition to supporting Yad Vashem, Ruth and her family dedicated the Mitzner High School in Houston, the Mitzner Family Building of United Orthodox Synagogues and supported many other causes in Israel and the Jewish world.

Ruth is survived by her husband David, her son Jacob and his wife Marilyn, her son Ira and his wife Mindy, and five grandchildren. She will be sorely missed by all who had the privilege of knowing her.

Yad Vashem mourns the passing of friends and supporters, Shoah survivors who contributed greatly to Holocaust remembrance and Jewish continuity:

- Nathan Katz z”l of New York, board member of the American Society for Yad Vashem. He is survived by his wife Sima, daughters Miriam Katz and Rita Levy, and grandchildren.

- Lola Tenenbaum z”l of New York. She is survived by her husband Henry, daughters Debbie Vine and Shelley Tenenbaum, and grandchildren.

- Romaine Efros z”l of New York. She is survived by her nephews Martin and Steve Feldman.

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