Woman to Honor Late Parents at Grand Opening of Jewish School

CAMARILLO, CA — On Dec. 20, a car accident in Australia cut short the life’s work of a couple who were dedicated to education.

On Sunday, their daughter will celebrate the grand opening of a Camarillo Jewish school that will be dedicated to her parents. She says she already feels as if she’s carrying on their legacy.

Zev and Rochel Simons were on their way from Sydney to a wedding in Melbourne when their minivan collided with a tanker truck. As parents of 10 children, the couple had been educators for 30 years.

Their daughter, Leah Lang, wife of Rabbi Aryeh Lang of Chabad of Camarillo, said she had always known that education would play an important role in her life. Three years ago, she opened a day care program in her home, which was later expanded to become Gan Camarillo, a Jewish preschool sponsored by Chabad of Camarillo.

On Sunday, the school will have its grand opening and dedication at a new location at the former Los Primeros School in Camarillo.

“They both gave their lives to the education of children, making sure they grow up to be respectable, ethical and moral kids,” said Aryeh Lang of his in-laws.

“They gave that to their daughter.”

Zev Simons, 54, taught and directed Jewish Studies at the Yeshiva Primary School Sydney for 28 years and distributed Chasidic books on behalf of the Chabad-Lubavitch publishing arm, according to Chabad.org. Rochel Simons, 48, was the administrator of a women’s mikvah and a preschool teacher for many years.

Leah Lang said her father “was always furthering his education, taking courses like special ed. He saw it as just such an important thing.”

Her mother taught her that education in the home was of utmost importance, she said.

“I didn’t always know that I’d be, say, running a school, but I always knew the most import thing in life is raising my own children and giving children a good foundation.”

Her parents had visited Camarillo and had seen the work she was doing in education, Leah Lang said.

“I know in the last few years, their knowing what we were doing here gave them such a joy when they would visit. Now, more than ever, we just decided we have to put our energies even more into education. Everything they stood for, we’re able to bring that not only to my own children but to the community’s children.”

The ceremony will be held at 2 p.m. Sunday at the school at 2222 Ventura Blvd. There also will be a program for children.

For more information, call Chabad of Camarillo at 383-7882.

A memorial fund has been established at SimonsFamilyFund.com.