Esther Bukshpan, Wife of Kabbalist Caretaker, Dies at 61 in Safed

Esther Bukshpan, known for her righteousness and dedication to supporting widows and orphans, passed away at age 61. Born on Yom Kippur 1944 to Rabbi Rafael Yitzchak Aharon Teller and Hannah Hanna, she was raised near the tomb of Rabbi Shimon Bar Yochai in Meron, where her mother ran a well-known kiosk for decades. Esther married Rabbi Aharon Yosef Bukshpan, the devoted caretaker of the Karlin-Stolin synagogue in Safed and son of Rabbi Ze'ev Bukshpan. Together they built their home in Safed, where she was respected for her charitable work.

Her funeral took place on Sunday morning, beginning at the main Karlin-Stolin study hall in Givat Ze'ev, continuing from her home on Tzahal Street 7 in Kiryat Maor Haim, Safed, and concluding at the local cemetery. As Esther left no descendants, the community was urged to study Torah in her memory, honoring her as the daughter of Rabbi Rafael Yitzchak Aharon. The traditional blessing "May her soul be bound in the bond of life" was recited in her honor.