Hilda C. Rubin

01/02/1929 - 01/14/2025

Hilda C. Rubin, an adventurous, expressive, and determined woman whose upbringing inspired her to love and spread enthusiasm for the arts and literature in both English and Yiddish, died at her home in Silver Spring, Maryland, on January 14, 2025. Born on January 2, 1929, she had just celebrated her 96th birthday surrounded by her loving and devoted family.
Born in the Bronx at the beginning of the Great Depression, Hilda grew up in the Sholem Aleichem Houses, founded by a Jewish cooperative to advance social and economic justice and to preserve the Yiddish language and the secular Ashkenazi culture of eastern and central Europe. Her summers were spent at Camp Kinderland, a camp that was established by Jewish union activists for working class families to further their dedication to progressive causes; equality, peace, community, social justice, activism, civil rights, Yiddishkeit, and friendship.
Hilda married shortly after graduation from City College of New York, and moved with her late husband, David (dec. 1980), to metropolitan Washington, DC, where they raised their three children. While growing her young family, Hilda immersed herself in her new community supporting and fighting for progressive causes. Early in her arrival in Washington, Hilda established a cooperative nursery school at the apartment complex where her family lived in Montgomery County, Maryland.
Among Hilda's great passions were teaching children, theater, and dance. She was an early performer at the Adventure Theater in Glen Echo, MD, a not-for-profit organization that continues to inspire children to learn and love theater.
Hilda devoted herself to teaching as a reading specialist in the public schools in Prince George's County. She loved to travel, and in the summer of 1984, she continued to expand her knowledge of teaching by joining a U.S. university-organized trip to China, sponsored by the Beijing Foreign Language Institute, to observe China's method of teaching. She spent the last 10 years of her teaching profession as a reading specialist in her beloved Hyattsville (MD) Elementary School.
Throughout these years, while working full time, Hilda focused on her love of Yiddish. She wanted future generations to appreciate the language and culture of her ancestors. She was an officer of Yiddish of Greater Washington, where she taught and led groups in Yiddish conversation. She was the artistic director of DeShpilers, a community theater that performed Yiddish classics, and she shared stories with everyone who touched her life. Hilda would regale students, friends, and family with stories of the Yiddish poets and writers. Nationally, Hilda was a popular presenter at the International Association of Yiddish Clubs, and by 2010, she was lauded as the only individual who had attended every conference to date. Her scholarly knowledge of Yiddish was a gift to all who knew her. Hilda narrated Oral histories for Yiddish Lives, The Capital Jewish Museum, and the Wexler Oral History Project.
Hilda's most cherished role was as a grandmother to her three granddaughters, Amy, Janina, and Natalie. Treasured summers were spent with her family at Deep Creek Lake, MD, and St. Simmons Island, GA.
Hilda is survived by her son Mark Rubin of Studio City, CA; Paula (Polly) Del Gallo (John, dec. 2007) of Columbia, MD; and Richard Rubin (Chisato), of Saratoga, CA. In addition, she is survived by her granddaughters Amy Rubin (Schuyler), Janina Del Gallo, and Natalie Del Gallo, her devoted nephew Ken Atkatz, and her cherished Caregivers, Amina Mazonge, Halima Mfugale and Aziza Farahani.
Hilda's final resting place will be with her husband David, in the Sanctuary of Abraham and Sarah Cemetery, Paramus, NJ. There will be a private burial. A memorial service to honor Hilda's life will be held locally in the spring.
In Hilda's memory, the family suggests a contribution to the Yiddish Book Center, 1021 West Street, Amherst, MA, 01002 (www.Yiddishbookcenter.org), or to the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee (www.DSCC.org), to honor and preserve democracy. Services entrusted to Sagel Bloomfield Danzansky Goldberg Funeral Care.