Kurt and Edith Rothschild, refugees from Nazi Germany who met in the United States, also view all Jews as one, and their love for all Bnei Yisrael is all encompassing. In a defiance of our enemies, they are consumed with the desire to restore the Jewish people, both spiritually and physically, buoying Jewish continuity. They are dedicated to enhancing and improving Jewish lives – wherever they are.
Edith Rothschild uses pearls as a metaphor to explain why she and her husband are up to their arms, actually their necks, in communal involvement. Individual pearls are precious – but basically useless if they are not linked, or connected to the whole.
To that end, in addition to being her husband’s ezer ke’negdo, and a community leader in her own right, (as president of Emunah of Toronto, and chairman of the National Board of Emunah) Edith Rothschild has shared and promoted her vast knowledge of healthy, wholesome eating via lectures and the publishing of a cookbook entitled, Nutrilicious. Many of the tributes addressed to her husband described with awe his amazing stamina and strength as he puts in 18-hour days and nights overseeing his many chesed projects. He is often raring to go while his younger associates lag behind. Mrs. Rothschild, in her dinner speech, insisted that her 89-year-old husband was as high energy as he was due to her healthy meals. “Kurt would not be able to do what he does, if he was eating meat a few times a week like other men. No way!”
“Food for thought” is another component of what makes Mr. Rothschild tick. He has an unwavering belief in the value of a Jewish education. Says Mr. Rothschild, “To safeguard and promote Jewish continuity, the funding of Jewish education is first and foremost on my list of obligations. Our youth must be taught the ethics of our Torah, and our incredible history throughout the ages to identify as Jews and carry on our precious traditions.”
A Legacy Fund was launched at the dinner in the Rothschild’s honor. Monies raised will support Jewish educational facilities in the former Soviet Union; help resettle former Gush Katif communities in the Negev and fund necessary infrastructure such as community centers and schools; give out scholarships to graduates of Toronto day schools who wish to spend a year or two studying in yeshivot, seminaries and university; as well as help alleviate many private hardship situations in Israel that have come to Mr. Rothchild’s attention.
May they go from strength to strength and success to success as they finally return home.