Chava Edelman, 41, Young Milwaukee Rebbetzin Who Inspired With Joy

by Motti Wilhelm – chabad.org

Ever since the passing of Rebbetzin Chava Edelman, Mrs. Shawn Bojan, a congregant and close friend, has found herself thinking often about the holiday Purim.

Rebbetzin Chava passed away on Shabbat, Aug. 9 (15th of Av), at the age of 41 after a years-long battle with cancer. A young mother and beloved Jewish community leader who co-directed The Shul Bayside in Milwaukee, Wis., with her husband Rabbi Cheski Edelman, she left behind five young children and a grieving congregation. In light of the tragedy, it might seem counterintuitive to reflect on the most joyful day of the year after such a loss. But for Bojan, it is precisely that joy and creativity that defined Edelman.

“Purim was her masterpiece,” Bojan recalls. “Every year, she dreamed up themes with the imagination of a Broadway producer: Italian piazzas, comic-book universes, royal palaces, even topsy-turvy carnivals. My kids and I were often drafted as part of her ‘crew.’ She brought the creative whirlwind, and I provided what I like to call ‘the calm in the chaos,’ usually with a bit of dry humor to keep us laughing while hot gluing, painting, or sweeping up glitter that somehow lasted until Pesach.

“Chava showed us that resources don’t have to be grand to be meaningful. Sometimes, they’re as simple as enthusiasm, teamwork or the right joke at the right moment. She taught us that Purim joy can, and should, last all year, even if the decorations don’t. Her memory is a blessing, and also a gentle nudge to always keep glue guns, costumes and laughter close at hand.”

Even after her cancer diagnosis and throughout her valiant battle, Rebbetzin Chava Edelman carried the same joy and love of life with her. Together with her husband, director of The Shul in Bayside, she seized every opportunity to bring more light into the world.

“My wife never complained about her illness,” Rabbi Edelman shares. “She saw it as part of her mission, her calling. Her entire life was dedicated to helping Jews connect to their heritage, and if that mission had to take place from a hospital bed, so be it. She inspired people from her ICU room. Her Jewish doctor donned tefillin with me; women resolved to light Shabbat candles. This continued until the last Shabbat that she spent in the ICU, just a few weeks before her passing. She was still inspiring doctors, nurses and visitors.”

Born to Give

Chava Leah Kavka was born in Seattle on March 31, 1984 (27 Adar II), to Rabbi Avraham and Shprintza Kavka, directors of Chabad’s Seattle Mitzvah Campaign under the auspices of the Regional Offices of Chabad-Lubavitch of the Pacific Northwest. From the youngest age, Chava played a vital role in her parents’ activities, setting herself on a life-long mission to help her fellow Jews connect to their heritage.

While attending the local Chabad day school, she organized programs such as Shabbat parties for neighborhood children. As she grew older, she became instrumental in running Camp Gan Israel under her parents’ direction.

In 2004, after graduating from Seminary Chaya Mushka in Tzfas, Israel, Chava married Cheski Edelman of Springfield, Mass..

“Even before we married, we agreed that we would become Chabad shluchim [emissaries], joining the thousands of rabbis and rebbetzins around the world who answered the call of the Rebbe, Rabbi Menachem M. Schneerson, to dedicate their lives to the service of their fellow Jews,” says Rabbi Edelman.

Shortly after their marriage, the Edelmans moved to Cheski’s hometown of Springfield, where both took on teaching positions in the city’s Jewish day school, Lubavitch Yeshiva Academy. When the opportunity arose to open a new Chabad center in Olympia, Wash., they moved across the country to embrace the calling.

For nine years, they directed the Chabad House with love and dedication, nurturing a blossoming Jewish community in a city that had never been renowned for its large Jewish population. Chava and her husband built lifelong bonds with community members, bonds that became especially evident in the days following her passing, as heartfelt messages poured in from people of all backgrounds.

As their children grew older, however, the Edelmans faced a difficult challenge. The educational options available, either driving more than three hours daily to Seattle or enrolling in an online school, were not working for them. A devoted mother who placed her children’s well-being above all else, Chava supported the difficult decision to seek another place where they could serve as Chabad emissaries that would meet their family’s needs.

“We consulted with friends and advisors, and I also traveled to the Ohel, the Rebbe’s resting place, where I wrote a note pouring out my heart and presenting our dilemma,” Rabbi Edelman remembers. “That very day, I received a call from Milwaukee, asking if we would consider taking on the role of Chabad rabbi and rebbetzin at one of the city’s Chabad Houses. We agreed, though not before ensuring Olympia would be left in good hands. We found another couple who were able to continue the work there and even covered the bills in the interim.”

‘Precious Years to Teach Them’

In 2016, the Edelmans moved to Bayside, Wis., a village in the Milwaukee metropolitan area. It was a new location, but the same mission, carried out with the same joy and passion.

Together with her husband, Chava began co-directing The Shul of Bayside, taking on a wide range of responsibilities. She led the Hebrew school, organized programs for women such as the Women’s Circle and Rosh Chodesh Society, and coordinated the kiddush each Shabbat, a formidable task with well over 100 participants each week.

Among her many tasks, she was especially passionate about her role in the Hebrew school, caring deeply about the Jewish education of every child in the community, just as she did for her own.

“She believed the children deserved the highest possible quality education—no wasted time, no simply passing the hours,” Rabbi Edelman says. “Snow days were a disappointment for her, and she would say that with children, we have only a precious few years to teach them and impart lessons that will stay with them for a lifetime. Every moment counts, and we must give them everything we can.”

Her love and care also extended to the members of her congregation who had already graduated elementary school. Community members recall that Rebbetzin Edelman’s greatest joy was connecting with other people, each one on an individual basis.

“Rebbetzin Edelman was my first new friend when I moved to Milwaukee,” says Debbie Gorman. “She always made herself available to me. She welcomed me into the community and made me feel that I truly belonged. She honored me by inviting me to lead a COVID-era online challah bake shortly after I arrived, and later asked if I would host a ladies’ brunch at my home. She gently encouraged me to stretch beyond my comfort zone, and what once felt unfamiliar has now become a natural and meaningful part of my life. She made me feel like a valued and productive member of our Shul community,” where her husband, Andrew, and children became involved as well.

“My wife had a deep personal connection with every member of our congregation,” explains Rabbi Edelman. “Whether someone was celebrating a joyous occasion or conversely, facing a loss, she never gave a generic speech or response. There was always a personal touch, she connected to each person in their own unique way. She genuinely cared for each one.”

‘A Source of Inspiration’

In December 2021, Chava was diagnosed with cancer. For the next three and a half years, she bravely battled the illness with the same dedication—and even joy—that had characterized her entire life.

Her community, family and friends rallied to her side, helping in any way they could. They organized prayer gatherings, undertook mitzvot in her merit and supported her family. Yet even in times when she needed help herself, Chava continued to inspire and uplift others.

“She was a source of inspiration throughout the entire time,” shares her brother, Rabbi Moishe Kavka, director of Chabad of Rockville, Md. “When she learned of another woman battling the same type of cancer, she began calling her regularly, encouraging and uplifting her, even while fighting the exact same illness herself.”

Even as she fought for her life, Chava continued her activities as much as she could—and then some.

“As soon as she felt even a little bit better, she would dive back into her work full swing, as if she weren’t sick at all,” Kavka says. “It was truly unbelievable to see.”

For a brief period, it seemed the treatment had been effective and the cancer was beaten. Tragically, however, it returned months later in a more aggressive form and steadily progressed from that point on.

She passed away at home, leaving behind her grieving family, friends and community.

“So you know what I do now? I want to take Chava’s good qualities and embody them, influencing others so that I can grow and be a better person.” Debbie Gorman reflects. “I will seize opportunities to lift someone up.”

Gorman enumerates: “Chava inspired me with her delicious Shabbat recipes. I will keep her in mind and her love of Shabbat alive by preparing meals using her recipes and presenting them beautifully. Shabbat meant so much to Chava, so I will continue lighting candles in her merit and baking challah for my family. Her light will shine at our Shabbat table every Friday night through me, lighting the candles and keeping Chava in my heart.”

In addition to her husband, Chava is survived by their children: Sender, Rosie, Fishel, Fayga and Mushka. She is also survived by her parents, Rabbi Avraham and Shprintza Kavka of Seattle, and her siblings.

A fund has been launched to help support the Edelman family during this difficult time. Please click here to contribute.