Mount Sinai Remembers Alice Maltz z"l

1. ALICE MALTZ
“There is no better friend than a sister.
And there is no better sister than you.”
~ Author Unknown
Forever in our hearts. Nothing changes.
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ALICE MALTZ: IN TRIBUTE
(RIVKAH BAS LEVI V’LEAH)
Alice’s had a difficult start in life. She was a hidden child during the Shoah, reuniting with her family at its conclusion. She didn’t talk
about that time, and even when it might come up it was apparent that she did not want to go in that direction. Of course, that episode
took place when she was quite young and she may not have remembered that much. More likely, it may have been difficult for her to
talk about it for reasons that she herself may not have understood. It was as if an inner voice told her, “Stay away from that.” One
may speculate that the experience was there in the back of her mind, and had an effect on her life. It may have inhibited her from
some things and moved her to do other things. But, despite the presence of a dark cloud in her for that period in her mind/soul, she
lived for eight decades and had many rich and meaningful experiences, testaments to her inner strengths and strong determination.
Alice’s making it for eight decades is nothing short of a wonder, for another reason as well. In the last years she was basically on
her own. She had to make all the important decisions about herself by herself, no longer having close family members for counsel and
support. Knowing she needed help, eight years ago she arranged for the Self-Help agency to serve as her legal guardians to help her
in her later years. Driven by a strong sense of self-preservation, Alice chose Self-Help to assist her. She discerned in this organization
a reliable and trustworthy agency that would be helpful. She proved to be right about Self-Help. They certainly came through for her
in the last days of her life, as they had in the several years she from the beginning of the arrangement. When I went to visit her in the
hospital on her last day, Self-Help was already there, as they had been all night long from the onset of the final episode. Self-Help
made sure that even her very last moments with experienced with dignity.
I knew of Alice before I got to know her. I first got to know her father, Levi Gutter, after becoming the Rabbi of Mount Sinai in April,
1986. At that time, Alice belonged to another synagogue in the Heights.
Her maiden name was Gutter, which in Yiddish means a good person. This was an appropriate name for her father, Mr. Levi
Gutter. He was a good and kindly. He was also gregarious with a joie de vivre and an optimist. He was not given to withdrawing or
melancholy, despite having experienced the horrors of the Shoah. He was deeply devoted to his family, his wife Leah, two daughters,
Alice and Edith, and Edith’s family, husband Professor Irving Paul and their two children, Dr. Sara and Ezra. He was also devoted
to Mount Sinai where he served as a Trustee for many years. I also got to knew him through his regular attendance at the Shabbat
afternoon Talmud Shiur. He loved Talmud study and enjoyed it on account of his knowledgeability. He had a yeshiva background,
having studied in one of the great Hungarian Yeshivot before the Shoah. When he spoke up in the Shur, he always had a pertinent
remark to make, either by way of a clarifying comment or a perceptive question.
When I got to know Alice after she joined Mount Sinai, I saw that she loved her father deeply and admired him. She had good reasons
for her positive feelings toward him, not just that because he was her father. His family benefitted from his fine qualities as did others.
Too often one finds people living a Jekyl-and-Hyde life, putting forth a smiling exterior to the world and a less pleasant demeanor at
home. Not Levi Gutter, who was one and same fdecent ine person to the world and to his family.
Alice’s sister, Edith, was another family member who was greatly helpful to Alice over many years. Edith treated her lovingly and at
the same using her professional expertise, as a certified social worker, to help Alice conduct her affairs sensibly and successfully,
whether it pertained to matters of health, living conditions or jobs. They spoke almost daily and reviewed all sorts of important issues
in their conversations all the years that Edith was well. Alice has continued her relationships to her sister’s children, with the daughter
Dr. Sara and her spouse, and the son Ezra and his spouse. She is especially close to Ezra who lives in the Boston area.
To her credit, Alice held down real jobs during the course of her working life. These positions required maintaining a regular, daily
schedule, using public transportation for travel, coming on time, relating to colleagues and superiors, and carrying out assigned duties
faithfully. For a period of about a decade, she worked at the Federal Reserve Bank of New York. During some of the time she was
at the Fed, one of my sons worked there as well. Alice would frequently bring me his regards and keep me posted about his doings.
Judaism was a core element in Alice’s life, and Mount Sinai was her home away from home. She endeavored to attend Sabbath
services regularly. She loved listening to the prayers with their traditional chants and melodies, and appreciated the insertion of a new
and lovely melody. She had a great love for Jewish music. She would also express appreciation at hearing a good prayer-leader who
had a fine voice. She enjoyed a good talk and would offer a complement for an especially good one. We also remember with pleasure
the occasions when Alice would sponsor a Seudah Shlishit, and gave a talk, prepared with the help of Rabbi Moshe Goldfeder. Rabbi
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Goldfeder had developed a strong bond with Alice when he became the Rabbinic Intern at Mount Sinai, which he retained even after
moving to Atlanta several years ago. In addition to helping her with her talks, Rabbi Goldfeder was helpful to her in other ways.
Alice loved the social side of Mount Sinai, and especially loved the young people. She regarded those she connected with as part of
her extended family--a word she frequently used--calling them her brothers and sisters. In a guileless and charming way, she was not
shy about approaching people and striking up a conversation. She so very much wanted friends, and this was a driving force in her
life. She enjoyed sharing a Sabbath meal with her brothers and sisters, or participating in other social events with them. She also made
friends and had many brothers and sisters in the Washington Heights community generally. She made it a point to learn something
special about each person she met and she remembered it forever. Many of her younger friends have said that there was much to
learn from Alice. Indeed there was.
Alice was not always easy to understand fully. In some ways, mainly with respect to social skills, she was somewhat of an innocent.
Yet, on the other hand in some matters she was a savant, having a very good memory to help her. She was capable of reading people
and their attitudes, and knew when to back away. She knew what was going in the community generally and also what was going on
in many pockets of the neighborhood. She very much wanted to be included. Above all else, I believe, she wanted to be taken seriously
and dealt with respectfully and considerately.
Her death and passing deserve some comment, for two reasons. First, she died rather suddenly and unexpectedly. She was not in
the best of health for a while because of underlying medical problems, but there was a noticeable decline in the last year. But, the
end came rather suddenly. In the last day, she underwent several heart-attacks, whose origin the doctors, whom I spoke to, were
at a loss to explain. Resuscitation did not work. The positive side of such an abrupt passing is that you don’t linger and decline. In
Jewish tradition, this sudden type of passing is called a Misas Neshikah, death by a kiss. This phrase accentuates the positive side
of a sudden departure. It helps avoid hanging on in a debilitated condition, mainly unresponsive, just being cared for until your time
comes. Alice didn’t have to undergo that, thanks to Gd.
Second, and interesting, is the date of her passing: Zayin Adar, the seventh day in the Hebrew month of Adar. She actually she died
in Adar I, since this year is a leap year in the Jewish calendar, their being two months of Adar, I and II. This date carries a significant
resonance for a Jew since it is the date on which Jewish tradition has it that Moshe Rabbeinu, our great teacher Moshe, died. This
Yahrzeit connection between Alice and Moshe may be taken as Hashem saying, “Alice Maltz, you are a special person and will be
inscribed in the special record book.”
Rabbi Dr. Mordechai Schnaidman
Rabbi Emeritus, Mount Sinai Jewish Center
March 17, 2016/7 Adar II, 5776
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Our sister Alice, Aleha HaShalom, passed away on Zayin Adar, the yahrtzeit of Moshe Rabbeinu, the day which is referred to as
the Fast of the Tzaddikim.
Zayin Adar almost always falls out on Parshas Teztaveh, the one parsha where Moshe’s name is missing. There are many reasons
and thousands of Divrei Torah about why Moshes name is missing but regardless of why, what you realize when Moshe is suddenly
missing is how central he had become to the entire story without you even noticing.
His absence is astonishing and it forces you to come to terms with who he is.
Today is Tuesday. Every Tuesday and Friday for the last five years Alice and I would have a conversation. It is really only now that
she is missing that I can finally appreciate how much those conversation meant and will always mean to me. She would always say
“thank you for calling,” but I wasn’t doing her the favor. She was doing me the favor. Every week twice a week, even though we
weren’t neighbors anymore, Alice would call to check on me and show me unconditional love and support. It didn’t matter what I was
doing. She wanted to hear all about it, and she wanted to be supportive.
Alice was the kindest sweetest purest soul that anyone will ever meet. She never wanted to talk about herself; she was always
interested in hearing about everyone else. “What’s new with you? How’s your family? Send my love! I want to see you I miss you!
Tell them I want to see them and I miss them.”
She always wanted us to come and visit her, and I want you to know Alice that I am sorry that I wasn’t there more often. And I want
to ask you for mechilah on behalf of myself and my family, for anything we did or did not do enough of for you.
Alice had a very hard life. She didn’t like to talk about surviving the war, hiding in Czechoslovakia, or any of the other struggles that
she faced, but she faced them, and she accepted them, and she never asked questions or lost faith. She just continued to smile and
care about every other person.
Alice taught me so many things.
Alice taught me the power of time. A five-minute phone call, a two-second Good Shabbos, that could turn a persons day around.
Alice taught me the power of consistency. You could set your clock by her phone calls, and they became such a powerful part of the
rhythm of my life that I literally can’t imagine them not being there anymore.
Alice taught me the power of diligence. If she didn’t get through to you she would keep on trying, she’d always leave a message saying,
“I hope everything is ok, you don’t have to call me back, just want to make sure you’re ok and tell you I love you.”
Alice taught me the power of forgiveness. If ever someone wasn’t nice to me, or to her, she would think about it and then she would
say, “Ya but we should give them another chance right? That’s just how they are.”
Alice taught me the power of empathy. When she listened you could feel her giving of herself and feeling whatever you were feeling.
She was intuitive. A heart knows a heart and she would always give you her heart. She was pure heart.
Alice taught me the power of prayer. For a while I lived on the same floor as Alice, just a few doors down, and every morning you
could hear the sweetest davening I’ve ever heard, Shma and Modeh Ani and Brachos, sung loudly and with no hesitation and with pure
and undiluted kavanah. Hashem’s choir just got a lot stronger. Alice would always say “Ill pray for you,” and I know that she meant
it, and that God listened and will continue to listen to her prayers.
Alice taught me the power of giving. She had so little and yet all she ever wanted to do was give. She wanted to host, and to feed her
guests, she wanted to sponsor things in shul, she wanted to speak at shalosh seudos, she wanted to set people up, arrange for them
to meet in her apartment. She wanted to share whatever she had with others. She would always ask, whenever I came, “but when can
I give you?” and she never seemed to realize how much she always gave.
Alice taught me the power of family. For a woman who had so little she ended up with so much. She passed away surrounded by loved
ones, not only the loves ones she was born with but the loved ones that she created by being lovely and being loving.
Alice might have seemed frail but she was the most powerful woman I ever knew.
All of that power was hidden, and we only really recognize it now that it is gone.
Over the last few years of her life, Alice started a practice of speaking at shalosh seudos occasionally, usually on her father Levi
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Gutter’s yahrtzeit. I had the incredible privilege of helping Alice prepare to speak, and learning Torah with her.
Whenever I asked her what message she wanted to give over she always said that “I want to say that everyone should be like a family
in shul, and love each other.”
I want to read just a little bit from one or two of her speeches, and share some of her Torah with you.
She would always start every message “Hi this is Alice calling, I hope everything is okay.”
So this is Alice calling, and these, these are Alice’s words. I can still hear her practicing:
The Mishna in Pirkei Avos tells us that Aharon was someone who loved peace, and pursued peace. He loved people and he brought
them closer to the Torah.
Loving people is a special mitzvah that Hashem gave us that is very important to me. I always try to love everybody, because
everybody is special, each in their own way.
The parsha also tells us about the forty year journey that the Jewish people took when they left Egypt to get to the Land of Israel.
Some places they stayed a long time, some places they stayed a short time, but every place they went was important for their trip.
The rabbis tells us that the description of the journey is like a family photo album, full of beautiful memories that bind everyone together
across time and space as one big family.
The Torah reminds us that our whole lives are all really one big journey, and the families that we have, all the brothers and sisters, and
the places that we live and the people that we meet are all part of it, they are all beautiful pictures that we should cherish. We all have
our photo album of life, and all of us here have tonight at least one photo in common, which is Washington Heights and MountiSinai
Jewish Center, where we all live and daven.
The Beis Hamikdash was destroyed because people did not love each other the way they were supposed to. The Jewish people
got spread out across the whole world, but Hashem gave us a special present. In every community he helped us build a little Beis
Hamikdash, which is the synagogue, and our little Beis Hamikdash is Mount Sinai.
I want to again thank Rabbi Schwartz for being a wonderful rabbi and leader of Mount Sinai, and Rabbi Schnaidman as well for
everything that he does and that he has done, and Yaakov Kanner for helping me and Akiva and all my brothers and sisters, and I
want to thank all of my family for coming to hear me speak and for always being so wonderful to me. I love spending time with you
and I love when you come to visit me. I hope that all of us can love each other as one big family, and if we do that in our synagogue,
and in all the synagogues, then Hashem should bring peace in Israel, and rebuild the Beis HaMikdash now.
That was Alice calling. Family, and community, and love, and hope.
There will never be another Alice, but there are many others like Alice, for whom a five minute call would mean so much, and who have
so much to give if you let them. Alice doesn’t leave behind any children but she leaves behind brothers and sisters all over the world who
loved her and will carry on her memory to their children, In her zchus please find these other Alices and wish them a Good Shabbos.
I just want to share with you part of one more speech that we wrote together. It just sounds so much like she could have been writing
it about herself.
In this weeks parsha, Parshas Va’eira, Hashem appears to Moshe and tells him about the wonderful relationship that he had with the
forefathers of Israel, Avraham, Yitzchak and Yaakov.
The Talmud tells us that Hashem was telling Moshe that He feels a sadness, and a sense of loss that those who were once here and
alive are no longer so.
The Medrash tells us that the voice that spoke to Moshe at the burning bush sounded in Moshe’s ears and in his heart like the voice
of his father Amram. As long as the Jews feel that the voice of their fathers is speaking to them even now, they will always have a
solid connection to Hashem and to holiness.
Then she talks about her father. I’ll just read part of it.
He was an incredible and very special man. He was always ready and willing to help anyone and everyone. He used to work in a
restaurant washing dishes, then in a knitting mill, and he worked very hard and provided for his family and no matter what happened
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he always had a smile on his face.
He also was very involved in the synagogue, in Mount Sinai, where he was on the Board for many years. (You all know how Alice
loved to help out in the office here.) On Shabbos he would greet every single person in the shul with a big smile and was friendly to
everybody. He made sure that I was taken care of and healthy and he taught me more about what it means to be a servant of Hashem.
Alice concludes:
I hope that I am like him. I try to be friendly to everyone and to keep a positive outlook, and to always look ahead to the future and
see how I can help make it better. I hope that everyone can learn a lesson from him about always smiling, and always being extra
friendly to everyone in shul, and I hope that people hear about him and are inspired to come over and be friendly, and come visit so
we can talk more. I can still hear his voice every day and I miss him greatly. He truly is a connection to Hashem, just like the Avos in
the parsha, and I hope that his Neshama has an aliyah on today, his yahrtzeit, and every day. May we all learn from him, and may we
all follow him in taking responsibility and in caring for other people and making sure that the shul is like a family. And thank you to all
of my friends and family who come and visit me, and I hope that more of you also join that family.
Good Shabbos.
Alice loved every one of you. Everyone who came to her parties, who called her, and visited her, and said Good Shabbos, and smiled
at her. She was the best and most loyal friend and sister that someone could ever ask for. I will always hear her voice, and feel that
connection to holiness, and I promise to try and learn from her examples.
Good Shabbos Alice. Yehi zicrheich Baruch. I love you and I miss you. Youre still my sister. Youre always my sister- nothing changes
why should it? I love you and I miss you. Good bye Alice.
- Moshe Goldfeder
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In this week’s Parsha the Torah tells us about when Aharon the Kohen passed away on Rosh Chodesh Av. The Mishna in Pirkei Avos
tells us that Aharon was someone who loved peace, and pursued peace. He loved people and he brought them closer to the Torah.
Loving people is a special mitzvah that Hashem gave us that is very important to me. I always try to love everybody, because
everybody is special, each in their own way.
The parsha also tells us about the forty year journey that the Jewish people took when they left Egypt to get to the Land of Israel .
Some places they stayed a long time, some places they stayed a short time, but every place they went was important for their trip.
The rabbis tells us that the description of the journey is like a family photo album, full of beautiful memories that bind everyone together
across time and space as one big family.
The Torah reminds us that our whole lives are all really one big journey, and the families that we have, all the brothers and sisters, and
the places that we live and the people that we meet are all part of it, they are all beautiful pictures which we should cherish. We all have
our photo album of life, and all of us here have tonight at least one photo in common, which is Washington Heights and Mount Sinai
Jewish Center, where we all live and daven. Whether you live here for a long period of time, or a short period of time, or even if you
are just visiting, we are very happy that you could be here and be part of our journey.
Soon we are going to celebrate Tisha Bav, where we mourn over the loss of the Beis Hamikdash. The Beis Hamikdash was destroyed
because people did not love each other the way they were supposed to. The Jewish people got spread out across the whole world,
but Hashem gave us a special present. In every community he helped us build a little Beis hamikdash, which is the synagogue, and our
little Beis HamiKDash is Mount Sinai.
I want to again thank Rabbi Schwartz for being a wonderful rabbi and leader of Mount Sinai, and Rabbi Schnaidman as well for
everything that he does and that he has done, and I want to thank all of my family for coming to hear me speak and for always being
so wonderful to me. I love spending time with you and I love when you come to visit me. I hope that all of us can love each other as
one big family, and if we do that in our synagogue, and in all the synagogues, then HaShem should bring peace in Israel, and rebuild
the Beis HaMikdash now.
ALICE MALTZ’S DIVREI TORAH
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In this weeks parsha, Parshas Va’eira, Hashem appears to Moshe and tells him about the wonderful relationship that he had with the
forefathers of Israel, Avraham, Yitzchak and Yaakov.
The Talmud tells us that Hashem was telling Moshe that He feels a sadness and a sense of loss that those who were once here and
alive are no longer so.
Hashem told Moshe that fathers of Israel never complained when they were faced with their own many tests and challenges. They
fully believed in Hashem’s promise that all would somehow turn out well for them and for their children.
Hashem always teaches us that the correct way for a person to live is to have patience and to always look to the future and have a
long term outlook on events. The Rabbis tells us that the wise person is one who takes the long term view of their actions and realizes
how their actions will affect the future, both for themselves and for their children.
Hashem was tellinging to Moshe that his job in Egypt was not to be scared by the current situation, but rather to look towards the
future, which will be a better future.
And even more importantly, in order to be a leader he has to have the ability to help the rest of the Jewish people also see that future,
and share his faith and belief that everything will work out for the best because Hashem has a plan.
It is interesting that Hashem always appears to Moshe and to the Jewish people as the God of Avraham, Yitzchak and Yaakov and
that’s the name that He chooses to use. We also always use that name when we say Shemoneh Esrei, we start off and we say Elokei
Avraham, Elokei Yitzchak and Elokei Yaakov.
The reason that this name is so meaningful is because our connection to Hashem is through our parents, our fathers, throughout the
generations.
The Medrash tells us that the voice that spoke to Moshe at the burning bush sounded in Moshe’s ears and in his heart like the voice
of his father Amram. As long as the Jews feel that the voice of their fathers is speaking to them even now they will always have a
solid connection to Hashem and to holiness.
Today is the yahrtzeit of Levi Gutter, alav Hashalom. He was an incredible and very special man. He was always ready and willing
to help anyone and everyone. He used to work in a restaurant washing dishes, then in a knitting mill, and he worked very hard and
provided for his family and no matter what happened he always had a smile on his face.
He never complained and he always kept a cheery outlook. Later on in his life he volunteered at Montefiore hospital taking people to
the places where they have meals. He also was very involved in the synagogue, in Mount Sinai, where he was on the Board for many
years.
On Shabbos he would greet every single person in the shul with a big smile and was friendly to everybody. He made sure that I was
taken care of and healthy and he taught me more about what it means to be a servant of Hashem.
I hope that I am like him. I try to be friendly to everyone and to keep a positive outlook, and to always look ahead to the future and
see how I can help make it better. I hope that everyone can learn a lesson from him about always smiling, and always being extra
friendly to everyone in shul, and I hope that people here about him and are inspired to come over and be friendly, and come visit so
we can talk more.
I can still hear his voice every day and I miss him greatly. He truly is a connection to Hashem, just like the avos in the parsha, and I
hope that his Neshama has an aliyah on today, his yahrtzeit, and every day.
Thank you all for coming, and to the Rabbi, and to Yaakov Kanner. And thank you to all of my friends and family who come and visit
me, and I hope that more of you also join that family.
Good Shabbos
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In this week’s Parsha, the Parsha begins with Hashem and Moshe deep in a conversation. Hashem says to Moshe, go speak to Paroh
and tell him to let the people go, but Moshe does not think he is the right person for the job. He thinks that someone else should do
it instead of him.
Now we know why Moshe did not want to go. Because he had already tried telling the Jewish people that he was going to lead them
out, and they did not listen to him. Why didn’t they listen? The passuk tells us they did not listen to Moshe because they were tired
from their broken spirit and their hard work.
But when Moshe is talking to Hashem, he does not say that they would not listen, he says I am not a good enough speaker. Even
though it was not his fault that they were not listening, he still accepted full responsibility. He did not make any excuses, he said I am
the one responsible.
Winston Churchill once said that the price of greatness is responsibility.
Moshe Rabbeinu takes responsibility and that is what leads to his greatness. That is why in the end Moshe was in fact able to gain
the Bnei Yisrael’s confidence.
Responsibility leads to trust, and so Hashem tells Moshe vigam bchah yaaminu lolam, and they will also believe in you forever.
A person cannot accomplish anything in life if they don’t feel a personal responsibility to do so. The Rambam says that we all should
try to be like Moshe Rabbeinu. This is how we can be like Moshe. By accepting responsibility, by caring about other people. By putting
in time for the community and for the shul.
Father, Levi Gutter, was exactly the kind of person who took responsibility. He served on the Board of this very shul and he always
went out of his way to help people to care for others, and to be there when people needed him. Even in the small things. Every time
he walked into shul he had a smile on his face and he made sure to be friendly and say Good Shabbos to every single person he met.
May we all learn from him, and may we all follow him in taking responsibility and in caring for other people and making sure that the
shul is like a family.
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At the event on Thursday night February 18 in lieu of shiva, I said a few things which I will
try to recall/paraphrase here, and add a few comments to that.
I remember going to the first Chanukah party that Alice hosted in her apartment, helped
so ably and kindly by, as I recall, Moshe Goldfeder and Akiva Stechler among others. I
looked around the room and said to myself, Ah, all the better young people are here. Isn’t
it cool [do they say that any more? Showing my age?!] to be hanging out here instead
of at some bleeping singles thing; maybe a shidduch or two will come out of this (Alice
would love that!), and when people ask, So, how did you guys meet?, they could say: We
met at Alice’s party!
I knew Alice for quite a long time, and spent a fair amount of time with her. Yes, she could
occasionally get on your nerves, but in reflecting on the fact that she merited to pass
away on Zayin Adar, that is no small gift from “the Big G.”, not everybody gets to do that,
and it is also a wake-up call to the rest of us to reflect on what is really important. “Let
not the wise man glory in his wisdom”, etc. Important as intellect and accomplishment are
-- and they ARE -- it is very much to the point to use whatever gifts you DO have the best
way you can, and to keep in mind and value others who seem to have less than you do.
Alice certainly made the most of everything she had and she gave many of us the
opportunity to exercise our better selves. We miss her, and we are grateful that she did
have a long life and a passing surrounded by loving friends.
- Freda B. Birnbaum
Alice loved musical Havdallah. By the time the near weekly event had grown into a regular, well
attended gathering in Dan Bloom and Ari Levine’s apartment, Alice was a fixture. She’d arrive for
Shalosh Seudos and remain until the end of Havdallah when someone, usually Shani Kaish, would
walk her home. Before Shabbos, she would bring over a box of TamTams because she didn’t rely on
the Eruv. We learned she was a fan of Rabbi Shlomo Carlebach, “I have all his records.” It wasn’t
uncommon for us to turn to her for a song suggestion. “You should play Yiborech Shimcha” became
the anticipated answer and eventually we’d play this song at each Havdallah as a sort of dedication.I remember one occasion, I’m not sure what song we were playing, it could’ve been that one or any
other The music was rocking, the packed apartment was singing and clapping along together. At
one point I remember looking up from my guitar to see that Alice was standing up in front of her
blue walker drumming the seat. She was playing the walker. She seemed so happy and excited in this
energetic moment, all she could do was play, so she grabbed the only instrument she could: her blue
walker.
- Yaakov Dov Miller
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Moving to the Heights was daunting, and I was nervous. Having never been to Yeshiva University nor New
York City I felt myself ‘the outsider’, and feared the stereotype of ‘clickish’ New York Jews. I stepped through
the doors of Mt. Sinai and was immediately greeted by a playful woman in a stunning coral dress, but it
became obvious that a simple greeting between two strangers was not enough for her. She approached me
until I could feel her warm breath, and asked calmly but sincerely, “Do I know you?” I jested, “Not yet,” and
noticed that she seemed out of place. Like a darkened mahogany table in a modern stainless-steel kitchen.
But Alice had character - she was the centerpiece. After davening, her gaze pierced through the hundreds of
non-greeters. This time I was met with a mellow, “I know you,” and I’ll never forget what she said next. It tore
down what I knew of friendship and expectations for others. She asked me, “Will we be friends forever?” I
replied, “Of course.” And we are.
- David Bowman
A is for Alice
These past few weeks have been filled with special thoughts about Alice. It’s hard to believe of how many Shabbats,
Chaggim, and events have been spent with this unique personality and friend. As my brother and I gazed upon all
those who attended her Levaya, we could not help but notice how many families and friends we met through Alice
over the years.
Alice was exceptional in every sense of the word. We had the good fortune of meeting her about 15 years ago and
if you thought she was Ms. Social in her late 70’s, let me tell you that it was hard to keep up with her in her 60’s.
Everyone was inviting her to this meal or to that meal and she would always try to get my brother and me to come
along. Alice would also make every effort to attend the weddings of as many brothers and sisters as she could.
Alice was a very caring soul. For many years Alice sat right behind us in shul and we shared many great conversations
when moments permitted. Alice davened with the purest of intentions, often mentioning her brothers and sisters
specifically by name, and would ask Hashem to protect us all.
Alice was independent. As it became more apparent that she needed a caregiver to assist her, she made it firmly
known that they would be doing things her way, and if the aid had any difficulty in keeping up or foolishly told Alice
she needed to stay home, that caregiver was out. Alice always maintained her freedom of motion and she was
everywhere. Bennett Avenue was her freeway and when the weather was nice, Alice would always hold court in front
of building 165, greeting everyone with a smile and good words of well wishes. Passing by 165 Bennett Avenue will
never be the same.
She was a loyal friend as well. If anyone ever spoke negatively about a brother or sister, she would defend her family
with the strength of a well-seasoned lawyer. If you messed with a brother or sister, you would have to answer to Alice.
- A is for Alice. With love, The Arzouanes
Alice.indd 10 3/23/16 10:13 AM

12. 11
“The past few days have been extremely moving and we wanted to make you aware of some tremendous good things that
people did.
Alice Maltz passed away Monday night. From what I gathered she had been ill but went to the hospital suddenly on Monday.
On Monday Rabbi Schwarz and Rabbi Schnaidman were with her in the hospital at various points during the day along with
groups from the community They sat with her and sang for her and ushered her to the next life with love.
On Tuesday the funeral was held at the shul and the outpouring of support was amazing. There were over 125 people there
sharing their memories and supporting her niece and grand niece.
The eulogies by Rabbi Schwartz, rabbi Schnaidman, Akiva Stechler, Shani Kaish, Moshe Goldfeder, Lydia Ecker of Selfhelp
focused on Alice’s advocacy of friendship and love, and opened our eyes to more of her traits as a role model. I encourage
you to listen to and share the recording from the rabbi of the hespedim. Every hesped was beautiful. You will be changed.
Alice had succeeded in bringing young people and old together, and also we’ll have her shloshim at the zayin adar breakfast
She bolstered our mishna program-we all know how she felt when we planned programs that didn’t have enough attention.
Seeing how much she meant to so many people can show you the power of saying good shabbos and reaching out to
people.
When the levaya ended 125 ppl escorted the hearse down Bennett, getting soaked to their skins as the skies opened up
pouring rain as Hakadosh Baruch cried with us.”
Here are some more thoughts:
This shabbos we will be missing an important shul member. I hope everyone notices.
Alice passing is even more of a shock because she’s the kind of person you expect will just always be there.
I have to admit that while I’ve known her for over 6 years we became friends within the last two or three. I say friends but
she was very emphatic as you may know that we are family. She wanted to make sure we adopted her as our sister and
she adopted us as brothers and sisters too.
She taught us many deep lessons that we may not have realized at the time. In making us her family we had to look out for
each other. It helped us all work on kol yisroel arevim ze bazeh.
When she spoke at ss Twice over the last year her theme was awareness of all members of the community. She was a huge
proponent of meeting new people and encouraging younger folks to engage the older folks. You learn a lot about people and
their lives when you do engage them.
I have to admit that I was a little uncomfortable when we first interacted and reintroduced ourselves each week but after
a while we moved on to more in depth conversations. I had the privilege to walk home with Alice many times, and I found
out more about her life. More about her feelings about the community. She even had more info on the latest MSJC couples
than most people and she didn’t even have Facebook. She loved to make friends and loved to help out in shul. Every time I
saw her she asked how she could help at the kiddush or with handouts and flyers. She was one of our welcome committee
ambassadors.
And in getting to know her, she brought together many heights people. I got to know some of the club of her closest brothers
and sisters. Akiva Stechler, Michele Schiffmann, Avigayil, Josh and Suzanne Broyde and Oren among others. She helped
us help her.
Other thoughts:
I really loved when she could so astutely point out something we needed to improve in shul - like at a membership meeting
when she called us out for having something on the calendar but cancelling it becasue we didn’t have someone to work on
it. She could zero in on the ways we needed to improve and we knew we needed to work hard to impress her.
Alice.indd 11 3/23/16 10:13 AM

13. 12
I remember a meal that Alice attended at my apartment in Washington Heights. She was very social and
very much a part of everything that was going on, despite the large age gap between her and the rest
of the participants of the meal. But the most special moment came when we began singing zemirot. Her
face lit up, her smile and glee were overwhelming and she turned a simple zemer into a joyous celebration
of God and Shabbos and life itself. We will truly miss our sister.
Sincerely,
Yehuda Kranzler
Alice was a very good friend, and part of the Katz family, for many years. She was like a grandmother
to us. We welcomed her into our home, one of the first families, in the community. She came for Shabbos
meals, or just to say hi. Alice was a very kind person, and very thoughtful .She never forgot our birthdays,
and graduations. She always gave us a nice gift.she was a grandmother to us, and my children. She
brightened everyone’s day, and changed a lot of lives, and made people better. She was one of a kind.
She will be very missed.
- Chaya Katz / Chalouh
12
1. Alice was very special to a lot of people and was invited to a lot of weddings. B/c I rented a minivan,
I often drove her to a lot of them. We shared a lot of car rides together and I learned a lot about her
family. I took a lot of pleasure knowing more about her than most other “sisters”. It really meant a lot to
me. Whenever she would host a party, especially more recently, she would often tell people how she and I
go way back and we’ve known each other longer than a lot of other people. She was like the friend I had
from high school that was always there. It was really special.
2. Alice always knew what was going on in the neighborhood. I would often get the best gossip from her,
like who was dating who. She just knew everything before anyone else.
3. Alice always tried setting people up for dating and marriage. One day, she asked me if I know
Chanoch Goldfeder. I said yes. Her response was “Do you want to know him better?!”4. Alice was always trying to help me find a job. When I graduated from grad school, she told me to apply
to Selfhelp. For whatever reason, I never did. Then, a friend sent me a link and told me Selfhelp just had
a bunch of people leave so they’re hiring a bunch of people and have lots of openings. I finally applied
to Selfhelp and got a job there. Alice passed away the night before my first day at work and I started
working at Selfhelp the day of her funeral.
- Arona Berow
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14. 13
Alice was a real presence and part of the fabric of Mt Sinai Jewish Center. She was always at shul for davening and at social
events. She really enjoyed being around people and making friends. She was a happy person who loved music and dancing and
always loved a good party, especially as host. We will miss her walking around Washington Heights and seeing her at shul.- Akiva Stechler
Alice, I can’t really believe that you aren’t with us anymore. You have truly been an integral part of my Mount Sinai/
Washington heights experience. You are someone I could always count on for a laugh, to make me feel special and loved. In
a world that is often too guarded, you said things that others are too afraid to say. You told us you loved us, that we were
your sisters and brothers. How many people are able to express themselves so honestly like that? I hope that I can take your
love of others and express that in the honest way that you always did. I’ll miss the way you hug, pouring your whole body
into the arms of another, head first. I now realize that this is representative of your whole being, as one who gave herself to
others fully and completely, with nothing to hide. I miss you and love you always Alice. Thanks for being the sister I never had.
Love,
Lauren Kirschenbaum
Alice always used to ask me when I was going home to Allentown, PA; she had regards for Rabbi and Rachel Wilensky, whoused to be members of the community. Whenever I returned from a trip home, she always used to ask me how they weredoing. The Wilenskys were frequently amazed that Alice would constantly ask about them. We’d share a warm smile as wethought about Alice and the Washington Heights community. Additionally, Alice and I would frequently catch up on Shabbatabout former Heights members. Since she received phone calls on a regular basis from many people, she used to fill me inabout how some of her brothers and sisters were doing. Sometimes, she even told me information about myself that a friendhad told her. She’d wish me luck on a test, or ask me about school. Having these conversations with her made me realize Iwas not alone in having a special bond, but I felt special in being included in her family. Having her as a friend and sister wasan honor; and to treasure people and relationships so dearly is a blessing. I hope to follow in her footsteps.
- Julie Weinrach
Every Tuesday night, without fail, Alice would call me on the phone. Our weekly talks weren’t long, but they were certainly
meaningful. We always ended our conversations with “I love you,” and Alice would ask, “When will I see you?” My husband
and I tried to visit her on Shabbos whenever we could, but even when we couldn’t make it because we were going away, Alice
would say “Enjoy.” We miss you Alice!
- Ariana (Denenberg) Lapushin
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15. 14
Alice Maltz was a true friend. In her words, she was “a sister like I never had before.”
When I lived in Washington Heights, she always had a kind word for everyone. Every person she passed in the
street knew her. I got to know her because she knew my great aunt and uncle, long time Mount Sinai members.
I enjoyed going to her apartment to listen to her records, chatting on the phone and spending Shabbos meals with
her. And of course, when I told her that I didn’t have any sisters of my own, she told me that we could be sisters.
Little did I know what a phenomenon it would be come.
As the years passed, she met my boyfriend who then became my husband. Alice’s approval meant the world to
me because I knew what a good judge of character she was. When I moved to Israel, I figured we would lose touch
because that’s what generally happens when you move across the world. But Alice didn’t let that happen. She was
so good about keeping in touch, asking about my life here and my children, updating me on her life as well as the
lives of our many “brothers and sisters.” I’m sorry that my life became so busy that I wasn’t able to speak to her
as much as she would have liked. It’s hard to believe that I’ll never make another phone call that begins, “Hi Sister
Alice, this is Sister Sara, calling you from Israel.”
I miss you Alice, and I thank you for all these years of friendship and sisterhood. I aspire to be as loving and kind
as you were and to pass your welcoming spirit on to the next generation.
Your Sister,
Sara Gutman
Alice,
I can’t believe it. I don’t think I will believe it until the seat next to me on shabbos is empty. I will miss davening in
the same row as you. It was a privilege to help you a handful of times to find the right place in the siddur or repeat
something the speaker said because they weren’t speaking loud enough.Alice, you had a special power to connect people. Every time I saw you and said, “Good shabbos” you followed it
up with “You know me?” “Yes, Alice” I would respond. “My grandparents are Hank and Myriam.” “Oh yes, and
your father is little Robbie” she would answer. I was surprised every time she would repeat this information back
to me that she remembered my father from decades ago.Today at your levaya, Rabbi Goldfeder read a part of the dvar torah you wrote remembering your father when you
spoke at seudat shlishit. You said that he had the power to connect people, make a difference in the community,
and love everyone, and that you hope you have emulated his memory. I can tell you, Alice, with absolute certainty
that you have.
You have brought this community, your community, together as Rabbi Schwartz said, no one else was able to.
Whether it was a quick, or not so quick, “Good shabbos” in the hallway, hosting parties in your apartment or
passing you on Bennett Ave, you always had a smile on your face to show love for your brothers and sisters.
So when I hear your voice echoing in my head, “Do you love me?” My answer is yes, Alice, I love you. We all love
you. And you will be missed.
- Yocheved Greenberg
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16. 1515
The past four to five years, I would often see Alice at shul through the packed crowds of the social hall after maariv.
I’d usually find her with a blue walker chatting up a conversation with Akiva or Shani. I always marveled how Alice
had this captivating ability where she was able to draw crowds both young and old to converse with her and attend
the parties she hosted in her apartment. On weeks where you’d find her by herself, she always seemed cheerful
and looked forward to having a conversation. When I finally got a chance to catch up to her, she would ask me
if I’m coming over to visit and we attempted to coordinate a time where I’d come over the following afternoon.
When I came over we would discuss her favorite shows and talk about new events at the shul. She always enjoyed
watching Dancing With the Stars and the Bachelor and she never shied away from giving her opinion about the
contestants. Alice would always offer me whatever was in her fridge and on a hot day in the summer, I usually
didn’t hesitate to take her up on seltzer. Looking back at our conversations, I now realize she was doing me a favor.
Not everyone has the ability to give you the time to talk about your day or week but Alice was there for me every
shabbos offering her opinions and wisdom.
Alice was not only a sister but she had many other hats, as she impacted the Washington Heights community in a
very large way. I still think about her every day since she passed, often I need to pinch myself because I still can’t
believe she is no longer with us.
- Fima Zlatsin
Alice’s Best one-liners:
“It’s too religious.”
“I want to be more religious.”
“You won’t tell nobody?”
“Why?”
“When will I see you?”
“You don’t have to call me back.”
“Are you coming to our Chanuka party?”
“But you won’t be angry with me?”
“Shlomo Carlebach… I was crazy for him!”
“It’s not just for me – it’s everyone’s favorite!”
“Sure you know him. He’s our brother!”
“Yeah, you know them, they were at the Purim party!”
“This is Sister Alice calling…”
“Okay, goodbye, I love you.”
- Shani Kaish & Avigayil Zemelman
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17. 16
To my special sister Alice:
I cherish our phone calls, conversations, and your constant love. Your pure heart of gold is missed. You will always
have a special place in my heart. Nothing changes.
Love,
Ita Goldfeder
When I think of Alice, I think of the many evenings we spent walking back to her apartment from Musical Havdalah.We would navigate the long block-and-a-half between the Bennett and 165 Bennett - long because Alice had ahard time walking and talking at the same time, and she always had something to talk about. Sometimes we wouldchat about Heights current events, Alice’s many brothers and sisters, and who she had heard was dating whom;sometimes I would tell her something that was on my mind or happening in my life; sometimes we just walked quietlyand enjoyed each other’s company. Not infrequently, Alice would encounter other friends and acquaintances onthe sidewalk, and would introduce me to them and/or their pets. The trip would culminate with my walking Alice upthe winding ramp to her building, unlocking the side door beneath an incongruous poster of the Statue of Liberty,and bringing her into her lobby. She would always ask when she would see me next. Sometimes I knew the answer;sometimes I didn’t, but Alice’s question always reminded me that she didn’t want to be forgotten.
Alice was one of the most fun-loving women I have ever met. She had more social stamina than I think I will have inten lifetimes. One Saturday night, we reached Alice’s apartment after 10:00 and she asked me, “So, what are youdoing now?” She was always up for a celebration, as evidenced by her many parties, which filled her apartment tocapacity as half of Washington Heights poured in to dine on sherbert and seltzer, and Alice held stately court fromher living room throne. She also loved getting together with people for Shabbos meals – she was glad to share herfavorite Shabbos lunch of chicken salad and my roommate and I had her as our guest as well, memorable meals thatwere peppered with lively Carlebach tunes and anecdotes. We once gave out grape juice at Kiddush, not realizingbeforehand that it had seen better days over the course of its Key Food shelf life. As we passed the cups aroundand sipped, we winced at the stale, fermenty taste. Alice however, undaunted, proclaimed, “It’s good! It tastes likeprunes!”
Alice’s enthusiasm for partying went back to her youth: she would talk gleefully about trips to the Catskills andbeyond that she took years ago, sharing adventures with friends. And if a festive event didn’t meet Alice’sstandards, she’d let us know. One week at Havdalah, a member of the group announced a concert that would takeplace at the shul later that night and Alice piped up, “But I hear it’s separate seating!” If there was a good time tobe had with friends and adopted family, Alice was there.
Rarely did I hear Alice talk about the darker parts of her life, but once in a while she mentioned periods ofunhappiness: her childhood in the war; difficult relationships; conflict. She didn’t like these topics; she preferred toremain in sunlight and focus on things that gave her joy. But the moments were sobering, reminding me how muchsuffering Alice had known and why she valued the love and reassurance of her sisters and brothers so deeply.
Now that Alice is gone, I still haven’t quite absorbed the fact that I won’t be seeing her again. I haven’t yet stoppedfactoring her into my decision to go to shul, or my Purim schedule. I know this will take time, and I don’t lookforward to the hole it will leave in my life. But Alice - although we will not see each other again, you are not forgotten.Not ever.
- Shani Kaish
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18. 1717
Alice was the most consistent and enthusiastic participant in musical havdala. She very rarely missed it, and when
it wasn’t going to take place, she expected advance notice. She frequently expressed how much she loved musical
havdala, and would compliment us profusely on our playing. She was often the last to leave, spending hours in
our apartment listening to and participating in the songs. It gave us so much joy to seeing how much Alice loved
participating, and seeing how much she enjoyed being there. My memories of Alice will always be connected to
those times.
After I had moved away from the heights, Alice made sure we kept in touch. We had regular phone updates, and
after each phone call she would make sure to schedule the next one. She would then, without fail, call at exactly
the time and date we specified, down to the minute. When the conversation started to end, there would be at least
5 more questions and updates from Alice. She loved to talk, to catch up, to know what was going on in your life
and tell you about hers. Our last scheduled phone call passed without her calling, and no more are scheduled. I will
miss her.
- Ari Levine
Despite having a small biological family, Alice was blessed with more family than could possibly have come from one
family tree. One of my favorite memories of her was when she came hurrying (as much as possible with a walker
in a room full of tables and chairs) across the social hall to see my mother and me at the Mount Sinai Journal
Dinner in 2011. My mother was visiting from California and Alice wanted to welcome her to Washington Heights
and introduce herself as my sister. To her credit, my mother didn’t even blink when a woman who was her senior
called me her sister and told my mother that she was therefore also a sister. It was an incredibly sweet moment
that my mother remembered vividly when I shared the news of Alice’s passing.
I also loved having Alice as a shabbat guest. She was good company and was always insistent that she be able
to contribute something, even when I was doing it all myself. I would come up with a small item to bring because
it clearly gave her such pleasure. Her gratitude, desire to share, and compliments about the food and apartment
always made me feel as if I was getting the better part of the bargain. I simply wanted her to be feel as welcomed
in my apartment as I felt in hers and it was a privilege to have her.
Running into Alice on the street was complicated. It so often seemed to happen at moments when I desperately
needed to rush rather than to share updates and partake in the long goodbyes that those interactions always
seemed to entail. But even when I was felt the time crunch in those moments, it invariably ended up being a highlight
of my day, both because of the joy that she shared in that moment, but also because I knew that interactions like
that contributed to our shared belief that individuals and relationships are important and deserve time, even when
it is, by necessity, limited.
Moving away from Washington Heights in 2012 meant that I only got to see Alice on the rare occasions that I
visited New York. However, I thought of her often and I have tried to live up to her shining example of seeing the
best in others, derech eretz, and abundant hospitality. She truly lit up a room and her ability to open her heart to
others should be an example to us all. I sincerely hope that her legacy will continue to live on in Washington Heights
and everywhere her brothers and sisters have settled. It is up to us to open up our lives to those who need a smile,
a shabbat meal, and some extra family, regardless of age or circumstances. And when someone isn’t quite ready
to say goodbye, try to understand why letting go is so hard, that compassion and patience will serve as a reminder
of everything good that she shared with all of us, despite her limited resources, and somewhat traumatic history.
- Nomi (Gates-Monasch) Fuhrman
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19. 18
With Sarah Leibert Garfinkel at
Rena and Yoni Ray’s wedding
With Tara Delmore Wagschal on
Purim 2007a
“A sister is a gift to the heart, a friend to the spirit, a
golden thread to the meaning of life.”
~ Isadora James.
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20. 19
“A brother is a friend given by nature.”
~ Jean Baptiste Legouve
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21. 20
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22. 21
“My siblings are my best friends.”
~ America Ferrera
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23. 22
“The best thing about having a sister was that I
always had a friend.”
~ Cali Rae Turner
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24. 23
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25. 24
With Sarah Sanders Gutman and
Jessica Levine at Sarah’s aliyah party
“How do people make it
through life without a sister?”
~ Sara Corpeninga
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26. 25
“ Nothing can stop me from loving my brother.”
~ Brandy Norwood
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27. 26
“In the cookies of life, sisters are the chocolate chips.”
~ Anonymous
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28. 27
“Brothers and sisters are as close as hands and feet.”
~ Vietnamese Proverb
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29. 28
“Is solace anywhere more comforting
than in the arms of a sister.”
~ Alice Walker.
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30. 29
“Help one another, is part of the religion of sisterhood.”
~ Louisa May Alcott
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31. 30
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32. 31
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33. 32
“Sisterhood is powerful.”
~ Robin Morgan
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34. 33
“A sister is a forever friend.”
– Author Unknown
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35. 34
“Being brother & sister means being there for each other.”
~ Unknown
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36. 35
“How do people make it through life without a sister?”
~ Sara Corpening
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37. 36
“For there is no friend like a sister in calm or stormy weather; to cheer one on the tedious way, to fetch one if one goes astray, to
lift one if one totters down, to strengthen whilst one stands.”
~ Christina Rossetti
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38. 37
“Family is the most important thing in the world.”
~ Princess Diana
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39. 38
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40. 39
“Sometimes being a brother is even better than being a superhero.”
~ Marc Brow
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41. 40
“Family is not an important thing. It’s everything.”
~ Michael J. Fox
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42. 41
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43. 42
“Family means no one gets left behind or forgotten.”
~ David Ogden Stiers
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44. 43
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45. 44
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46. 45
“I sustain myself with the love of family.”
-Maya Angelou
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