Israeli Poet and Artist Chaya Esther Gudlevsky, Mother of Rabbi Ohad Taharlev, Passes Away at 85

Chaya Esther Gudlevsky, an Israeli poet, painter, and installation artist, passed away on Sunday at the age of 85. Born in Jerusalem in 1941 to a Haredi family, she was a mother of four, including Rabbi Ohad Taharlev, head of the Lindenbaum Midrasha. In the 1960s, Gudlevsky taught at the Neve Etzion state-religious school in Jerusalem and studied Jewish history at the Hebrew University, later earning a master's degree in education.

Her first poetry book, "Soft Stones," was published in 1983, and over her lifetime she released 18 poetry collections. Alongside her writing, she was active in painting and installation art, exhibiting in solo and group shows. Gudlevsky was a member of the Association of Artists and Sculptors, the Hebrew Writers Association, and the Israel FAN Center. In 2008, she published the poem "The Scream of Beauty," inspired by a meeting with Professor Moti Omer, then curator of the Tel Aviv Museum.

She is survived by her husband Shlomo, her four children, Rabbi Moshe Gudlevsky, Rabbi Ohad Taharlev, Naama Shani, and Adia Gudlevsky, and an extended family. Her funeral will be held at 11 p.m. Sunday at the Shamgar Funeral Home in Jerusalem, followed by burial at the Mount of Olives.