Hesped eulogy from David Bedein for his Mom The two words to describe my mother are involvement and commitment.

It is not enough to observe what is happening around you. It is not enough to see injustice

The question my mother would always ask would be: what are you doing about it.

The last time that I saw my mom at the Martin’s Run cafeteria, she called her friends together, saying that “we have to organize. We have to do something” We have to raise consciousness among our friends. My mom was concerned about the new workers from Africa who had been brought in to work there. Were they being paid off the books? Did they have medical insurance? My mother, with her shaking hands and her now frail physique, looked like she was trying out for the part of Sally Field in the coal miner’s grandmother.

My Mom aspired to represent the quintessential representation of Jewish morality. She was proud to have learned Pirke Avot by heart at Rabbi Saperstein’s Reform Temple, and she applied those ethics, every day of her life.

For my mother, teacher was not a job, it was an avocation, a passion and a kind of personal care that she would later apply to her intense love, devotion and care for each of her 12 grandchildren, each of whom she sized up, encouraged and motivated to be better people in their own right.

My mom’s ten grandchildren are saddened that they could not be her today, to show tribute to their Savta.

Nothing would stop my Mom to come to every Simcha. And when she had to make the tough decision of coming to Nachum’s funeral or to Noam’s future wedding, she made a calculated decision that she would save her energies for Noam’s wedding, and did she ever dance.

One of my Mom’s beloved poets, Dylan Thomas, said it best about my mother’s determination to make every moment count.

DO NOT GO GENTLE INTO THAT GOOD NIGHT. RAGE RAGE AGAINST THE DYING OF THE LIGHT.

Today I am losing my partner in crime, my editor, my red pen, my havruta in investigative reporting. My Mom, with her innocent look of a little old lady, uncovered the involvement of the Philadelphia Police Department when they were quietly training Arafat’s killers. It was my Mom who would call to alert our agency in Jerusalem with the misinformation that some Israelis were spreading through the Jewish Federation. And she would constantly call and say, David did you read this?

Indeed, my Mom was a stickler about getting facts straight, and she dutifully insisted that I follow the advice of my Abba, that when the more unconventional your ideas, the more presentable you have to be.

My Mom, at 85, was sharper than she was at 65

Two final observations. When my Mom was 64, half of her heart was replaced in an amazing operation that made its way into medical journals.

Forced to retire from Marple Newtown, my Mom knew that every day that she lived for the past 21 years was a gift from God

And now for the punch line.

My Mom did not like idle talk, and always said that she was sick and tired of hearing what people say during the shiva for a friend or a loved one, and always wondered what she would hear at her own Shiva. So what did my Mom do? On her 80th birthday, she rented out the Kosher Chinese restaurant on Montgomery Avenue, invited 46 of her friends and ten people from the family, and she heard what people would say at her Shiva.

Well, that was an organized Mom.

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Eulogy from Sara Bedein, daughter in law

Miriam,

Ask anyone who knows me – I always said that the best thing about my marriage was my mother-in-law! You have been more mother than in- law to me these past 31 years, always rooting for me, the greatest sounding board and dearest friend.

Your kindness and generosity was way over and beyond. You took a genuine interest in each of your children and your grandchildren – a real hands on mother and grandmother. When a birthday came up for any of us you would scout around until you found that very special card that described how you felt for us. Your gifts to us were always thoughtful and you took such joy in giving. On every visit to Israel you would come with 2 suitcases: One small one for yourself and one giant one filled with delights for your family in Israel. There was no greater joy for you than to hand out to each and every one of us all the wonderful things you have bought for us. I often tell people that the nicest thing anyone did for me was when

you bought me a brand new maternity dress in the beginning of the 9th month of one of my pregnancies. Only you could have come up with such a nice and thoughtful gift to cheer me on in the last month of pregnancy!

You cared so much for your family and all your friends. You made sure to have quality time with each one of them. You loved Eretz Yisroel and made more trips here than can be numbered. Your friends in Israel would be calling our house even before you landed wanting to know when they could see you. Such a tiny woman, whose body functioned with only a portion of her heart yet that heart had a miraculous quality of encompassing and embracing all her loved ones as if it were giant.

Until your later years you were bursting with energy and so hard to keep up with. You embraced life with such vivacity and tried to cram everything in – finding time to keep up with current affairs, read the latest book, watch the latest movie, attend the latest lecture, give to your community and of course there was always time to call your children and grandchildren and keep up with everything going on in their lives. These past few years when your body began to betray you, you tried your best to keep from us how much pain you were feeling. You didn’t want to be a burden on to anyone and didn’t want to kvetch. How frustrated you became as your body began failing and you could no longer do the things you loved to do. Your feisty spirit was so strong and you pushed yourself to go on until finally your body succumbed. Miriam, your feisty spirit will always remain with us. We miss you so much already.

You are now reunited with your parents, Phil, Nachum and your dear friends who have gone on before you.

Rest in peace. Shalom,

Your daughter,

Sara

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Eulogy for Safta – by Leora Bedein, her grandaughter

Our Safta – since we were little children you have been a Safta of happiness, fun and entertainment. You were the only one with the patience to take us shopping for that special item of clothing when our parents have already given up. I remember how every time you came to visit us you would have an enormous suitcase that was just for us. Even before you would sit down after your long flight, you would begin parceling out the many gifts you had brought for each and every one of us.

Sometimes I felt like saying – Safta – why? We love you just for yourself! We don’t need all these presents! But I knew how much you loved your grandchildren who were as dear as diamonds to you and how carefully you would choose each present, thinking of each and every one of your grandchildren what they would like best.

Your charm bracelet with the names of all your beloved grandchildren.

Who will wear it now?

Wherever we went with you, I felt like I’m walking with the dearest most precious person in the world. Your humor, your empathy, your listening ear, your sweetness and your pampering – all these things served to deepen our connection to you. You were lucid to your last day and if I were to talk to you today you would have an interesting story to tell and you always wanted to know everything that was really going on with us. I always loved hearing your interesting stories about your life. They were never boring.

If I were asked to define what kind of person you were, there would not be enough adequate words to describe who you were and what you meant to us. A little woman with great energy and strengths, humor and joy of life. I can only pray that I be such a wonderful Safta. A Safta whom all her grandchildren loved dearly, and taught to be happy and to never give up. To get up and to try over again and again and to give and to give and to give…

Thank you for all the wonderful years that we merited having you with us. Forgive us if we have faulted you in any way or if we didn’t show enough appreciation for all you have done for us – you did way over and beyond for us and we did not always show enough appreciation and thankfulness.

We so much enjoyed having you with us in your lifetime and we loved you very much.

We will miss you and will always cherish our good times with our beloved and special Safta. We have merited. And to God we give our thanks for such a great gift as our grandmother was to us.

May it be God’s will that your soul will rise ever so high and that you will pray for us from up above. And please promise to come and visit at every one of your grandchildren’s weddings and at each celebration of a new great-grandchild, For us you will always be here and you are always welcome. Your spirit remains with us and that is something that cannot be taken from us.

You are special So very special… I love you Safta

From me,

Leora

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EULOGY FROM ELCHANAN BEDEIN, GRANDSON

I never thought about Eulogy for a day of your funeral because I never imagined a world without you.

You were the only person in the family who whoud understand me.

Just two years ago you invited me to live with you, and i came for a few months, we had a such a good time, you dint want me to leave, and so did i.

it was a difficult period for me, but you’ve always been there for me, You always said to be proud of who you are !and always requires me to smile. I hope I will make you proud now that you look down on us.

You’ve lived a happy life. you got to see your children succeed then your grandchildren, and now even great-grandchildren.

You’ve always been proud of us, and you whould tell about us to all of your friends.

We’ll miss you Grandma,you were my angel, you were the queen!

I do not know how to live without you, but I promise to make you proud when you’re up there. I will miss you so much!

I promise to tell who you were. Because you were there!

Goodbye Grandma,

You are now with Grandpa Phil who you loved so much and with your son Nahum whom we all loved, send them regards, and keep us safe from

above,

Yours always

Your grandson

Elhcanan

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