Janet Goldwasser

Janet (Zahava) Goldwasser, 58, wife of Dr. Norman Goldwasser, died Thursday, June 26, in her home in Miami Beach after a short, but valiant fight - on her own terms - with cancer. A beloved wife, daughter, mother, grandmother and teacher, she embodied deep, true spirituality and warm hospitality. Born in Lutsk, Poland, to Nina Schneyer and the late Abe Schneyer, she lived in Israel as a child and then in Baltimore, where she attended Bais Yaakov and Towson University. Married in 1979, the Goldwassers moved to Seattle, then Richmond, VA, where she became a gifted Judaic Studies teacher and educational consultant. In 1991, they moved to Miami Beach, where they raised their seven children, and became heavily involved in Jewish outreach with the Collegiate Learning Exchange, mentoring and inspiring dozens of Jewish women to lead observant Jewish lives and to build Jewish homes. She studied to be a Wellness Coach at the Institute for Integrative Nutrition, inspiring countless others to change their lifestyles and to optimize their wellbeing. She and Norman founded Eden Tours, an elegant, warm Passover program, 10 years ago, convening the last five years at the Trump National Doral Resort. In all these endeavors, she built a wide circle of women around the world, all of whom saw her as their best friend. Her impact in bringing countless people closer to their Judaism will resonate for generations. She is survived by her husband, mother, children and grandchildren: Nomi and Rabbi Pinchas Landis, Ayala, Moshe Abba, Tessie and Leora, of Cleveland, Ohio; Adina and Rabbi Shlomie Stilerman, Shua, Moshe, Ita and Estie, of London, England; Devora and Rabbi Doniel Bensoussan, Tehillah, Eliyahu and Michoel, of Miami Beach; Dovid and Shana Goldwasser, Abie and Kaylie, of Miami Beach; Rena and Rabbi Shlomo Gershenfeld, Aliza, Moshe and Shmuel, of Jerusalem, Israel; Zoe, Zev, and Aaron Mandelbaum of Toronto, Canada, Yitzhak Goldwasser of Jerusalem, Israel; and Elisheva Goldwasser of Miami Beach. Services were held Friday. Burial was in Israel on Monday at Eretz Hachaim Cemetery in Beit Shemesh. Shiva at the Goldwasser home, from Tues, July 1 to Sun, July 6. Donations in her memory can be made to Bais Yaakov of Miami, Chai Lifeline, Maimonides College Outreach, or Talmudic University.