Mrs. Henny Sufrin, nee Woolfson, was born on September 7th, 1933 -- 16th Ellul, 5693, to Chanoch Henech and Chava Mera Woolfson in Dublin, Ireland. Former Chief Rabbi of the United Kingdom, Rabbi Lord Immanuel Jacobowitz with his Rebbetzin Amilie zt”l, were a major influence on her life while he served as Chief Rabbi of Ireland. Through their influence, after she graduated from Wesley College in Dublin, she went to learn in the Gateshead Seminary in its second year in 1949 where she developed a life-long thirst for learning and education.

In 1952 she received a degree in Music Composition from Trinity College, Dublin. On Rosh Chodesh Kislev, of that year she married her life-long partner Rev. Aron Dov Sufrin. They had the first Orthodox Jewish wedding in Dublin with a mechitza. They spent the early years of their married life between Manchester and Gateshead, England and   subsequently they moved to London. After working at Yesodei Hatorah school, under the guidance of Rabbi Benzion Shemtov ob”m, Rev. and Mrs. Sufrin became involved in the educational activities of Lubavitch Foundation England. Rev. A.D. Sufrin founded and headed the Lubavitch Primary and Grammar schools in Stamford Hill, London. He also led the Youth Minyan at Lubavitch House and together with Henny they founded Gan Yisroel Camps, U.K. in 1960.

In 1965 Mrs. Henny Sufrin became the Headmistress of the new Lubavitch Grammar Girls School. While heading the school she personally taught the students and prepared them for the GCE’s specifically in the area of Classical Hebrew and tanach Texts. She held this position until 1973 when she took a sabbatical at the behest of the Lubavitcher Rebbe zy”a. In 1975 she moved with her husband under the directive of the Lubavitcher Rebbe, Rabbi Menachem M. Schneersohn, zy”a to Ilford, Essex. Together they were involved in the opening of Chabad House, Ilford, Essex and in conjunction with this, Mrs. Sufrin began the first Jewish religious program in a comprehensive school in England at Wanstead High School. On Sundays she ran a Teenage Center under the auspices of the United Synagogue and she became active in Beehive Lane Synagogue. She lectured and gave shiurim throughout the Ilford area in formal and informal settings. Based in 361 Cranbrook Road, Ilford she created an open house for one and all. She was renowned for her hachnosas orchim, great hospitality and benevolent nature. Everyone always felt at home in her house.

Mrs. Henny Sufrin’s joie de vivre touched everybody from all walks of life. Together with her husband she was instrumental in making many shidduchim both among her mekurovim and within the frum community. She was not only a teacher but she was also a life-long learner. She attended many shiurim in her community despite a very busy personal schedule. In 1987 she established F.A.M.E. (Family and Me Education) to allow ladies to study Torah tailor made for their needs. The F.A.M.E. shiurim were held in various locations throughout Ilford and Redbridge and also specialized in private shiurim for those who wished. As part of this program she established “the SEM” an adult seminary for Ladies who met weekly on Tuesday’s for a 3-hour intense Torah study session, led by herself and other Community Rabbis as well as guest lecturers. In addition to all of these projects, Mrs. Sufrin was actively involved in founding the local Redbridge Chevra Kadisha.

“Bobba was exceedingly proud of her grandchildren and family,” said Rabbi Yitzchok Hecht the eldest grandchild of Mrs. Sufrin who is shliach in Ulster County, NY.  When she would visit him she would kvell as she heard his derasho while commenting on what was good and what he left out and should insert the next time. Rabbi Chanoch Sufrin, another grandchild who serves as shliach in Brisbane, Australia recalls his childhood in Ilford with his grandmother and especially how she had such messirus nefesh to make sure that anyone was welcome in her home all hours of the day and night. He also recalls how she would insist that the bachurim, shluchim when going on mivtzaim in the neighborhood on Fridays, stop in her home to get some kugel with words of chizuk. They would in turn always question her to reminisce on the experiences she had in her many yechidus’  and to hear about various specific directives she received personally from the Rebbe. She continued to insist on this even after her husband passed away. Mrs. Chanchi Goldstein, shlucha to University of Michigan highlighted how her Bobba took such a keen interest in everyone she came in contact with.  If she would hear from someone that they liked a particular item such as an heimishe food type, “Bobba went out of her way to make sure that item was readily available for the person when they came.” She would also insist that whomever she came in contact with left her a phone number allowing her to follow up with them to find out how they were doing. She also made sure they would call her whenever passing through the neighborhood. She loved saying Tehillim for people finding out how old they were, so she could recite their kappital for them whenever tefillos were needed. If they needed a shidduch she not only davened for them but also helped arrange 64 shidduchim for her contacts and never charged a penny. Throughout the shiva her talmidot and mekurovim consistently mentioned how enthralling her shiurim were especially in tanach and dikduk. “Mrs. Sufrin was never embarrassed to give her opinion as she directed us and encouraged us to do what is expected,” said one of her many mekurovim at one of the special memorial services held this past week in the community. Mrs. June Noah one of the first talmidot  of Mrs. Sufrin wrote in her condolence letter to the family: “…Henny was a very special feisty lady…[she]tried so hard to make us women who she came in contact with, better people with more faith and belief in the Jewish religion.”

Mrs. Henny Sufrin ob”m is survived by her children, many grandchildren and great-grandchildren, of whom many are involved in shlichus and chinuch throughout the world. She was truly a legend, tehi zichro baruch.