Sara Tesler, Widow of Vizhnitz Hotel Manager, Dies Suddenly at 89

Sara Tesler, the widow of the legendary manager of the Vizhnitz Hotel, Rabbi Eliezer Tesler, passed away suddenly at midnight on Monday at the age of 89. Born in Petah Tikva to Rabbi Yosef Hershkovitz, a prominent figure in the Haredi community, she was descended from the distinguished Shik family, related to the revered Rabbi Maharam Shik. Sara married Rabbi Eliezer Tesler and settled in Petah Tikva, later moving to the Vizhnitz neighborhood in Bnei Brak where her husband managed the famous Vizhnitz Hotel for decades.

Despite her Hungarian upbringing and her husband's Hasidic Vizhnitz background, Sara devoted herself fully to her husband and their communal work. A notable story from their early years in Petah Tikva recounts how her husband was among the first in the city to wear a shtreimel on Shabbat, following the request of the Vizhnitz Rebbe, with Sara's immediate support. Together, they quietly performed acts of kindness and raised a righteous family dedicated to Torah and Hasidism.

Sara Tesler was known for her modesty and dedication to educating her children in the path of piety and good character. She witnessed her sons and sons-in-law flourish in their religious roles, including her son-in-law Yanki Deskell, a musician and poet associated with the Vizhnitz community. On Monday night, she suddenly fell ill at her home on Ahavat Shalom Street in Bnei Brak. Despite prolonged resuscitation efforts by emergency teams, she passed away.

Her funeral took place this morning at 11:00 a.m. from the Great Synagogue in the Vizhnitz neighborhood of Bnei Brak to the Segula cemetery in Petah Tikva, where she was laid to rest beside her husband. The family is sitting shiva at their home in Bnei Brak. Sara Tesler leaves behind a blessed lineage including her sons Rabbi Baruch Tesler and Rabbi Israel Tesler, and sons-in-law Rabbi Shlomo Fuchs of Montreal, Rabbi Elimelech Brand, Rabbi Menachem Ernster, and Rabbi Yaakov Yehuda Deskell.