Toby Eagle OBM, She Would Have Been 22 Now

The following was written by a friend and classmate of Toby’s in connection with her upcoming Yohrtzeit which falls out on Sunday, the 19th of Av.

To the Eagle family,

I spent my seminary year in Yerushalayim with Toby. Although I didn’t know her at all before seminary, she was one of the first people to befriend me.

I came to seminary a week late, not knowing many people, and Toby sensed that. Toby always looked out for others; when she saw that I was still uncomfortable with the other girls, she would come over and talk to me, and invite me on walks with her.

As the year went on, and I became more comfortable, I watched the way Toby interacted with her friends. She was amazing to watch. I remember once meeting up with her in the city and she was alone. Turns out that the friend she had come with had gone off and met other friends. Any other girl would have been upset. But not Toby. She sat there with her beautiful smile, happy as can be. When I asked her about she said, “It’s not a big deal. That is how _______ is.”

Toby had a knack for understanding what it was that each girl needed from her.
As nice as Toby was to me, we never became close. That was my fault. I would watch Toby in awe. She was a good friend, a smart girl, she loved to learn, and do chesed, and was even musically talented. I couldn’t figure out how she could benefit from my friendship; she was perfect as she was. And I was a little intimidated. But I always knew that if I needed someone, I could turn to Toby.

During seminary, I had been assigned to help out with a certain family. This family was extremely unclean and unpleasant to visit. If there was a day I could not go, it was next to impossible to find another girl to go instead. Except Toby. It came to a point where I wouldn’t want to ask her anymore, because I knew she would say yes with her huge smile, even if she didn’t want to go (although she did end up committing to go regularly).

The world is now a worse place without Toby spreading her love and enthusiasm for life. But if I know Toby at all, she is up there, watching over those of us down here and doing all that she can to help us out.

Hamakon Yinachem Eschem B’soch Shaar Avlai Tzion V’YUerushalayim.

And may Toby’s memory be an inspiration for all of us to become better people. I hope we can make her proud.

Sunday, the 19th of Menachem Av, marks the 2nd Yohrtzeit of Toby Eagle OBM and in commemoration her family will be sponsoring a Kiddush and Farbrengen on Shabbos Parshas Eikev at Congregation Bais Lubavitch, 3402 Clark’s Lane, Baltimore, Maryland.

On Sunday morning following Davening, there will be a Siyum Mesechta. For details and directions, please see www.TobyEagle.com