Rebbetzin Devorah Krinsky
Rebbetzin Devorah Krinskycourtesy of Lubavitch.com

Rebbetzin Devorah Krinsky, wife of Rabbi Yehuda Krinsky, the longtime secretary and aide to the Lubavitcher Rebbe, Rabbi Menachem M. Schneerson of righteous memory, has passed away.

The rebbetzin, age 74, died Friday night following a brief illness. She was surrounded by her husband and children and died peacefully after the Friday night Sabbath kiddush – the blessing over wine – was recited at her bedside.

Her husband is also the longtime chairman of the educational and social services divisions of the Worldwide Chabad-Lubavitch Chassidic movement.

Rebbetzin Krinsky was the daughter of Rabbi Zev and Etta Kasinetz, and was raised in the Brooklyn, New York neighborhood of Brownsville, home to numerous Orthodox Jews in first half of the 20th century. Her parents' home was a major center for early Chabad-Lubavitch activities in the United States, led by her father, who was a member of the board of Agudas Chassidei Chabad International – the steering committee of the worldwide movement at the time. Young Devorah was among the first students to study at the newly-founded Beth Rivkah girls' elementary school in the early 1940s. She attended Bais Yaakov high school in Williamsburg, Brooklyn.

Following their marriage in 1957, Rabbi Krinsky was called to work in the office of the Lubavitcher Rebbe. The couple established their home on Montgomery Street in the Crown Heights neighborhood, a bare five minutes' walk from “770” Eastern Parkway – the World Headquarters of Chabad-Lubavitch and the Rebbe's office. Mrs. Krinsky’s warmth and humor, her quick wit, practical common sense, and her concern for others complemented her dignified comportment as her home quickly became a hub for the numerous, ever-present family members and guests, including the international visitors and dignitaries arriving at Chabad-Lubavitch World Headquarters. 

She is survived by her husband and their children: Rabbi Hillel Dovid Krinsky, Mrs. Sheina B. Friedman, Rabbi Menachem M. Krinsky, Rabbi Levi Y. Krinsky, Mrs. Chana Futerfas and Rabbi Shmaya Krinsky, as well as her brother, Rabbi Moshe A. Kasinetz of Livingston, New Jersey.

May her memory be for a blessing.

The funeral is scheduled to leave from Shorei Adas Chapels on Sunday, November 25 at 12:00 noon and will pass by Chabad-Lubavitch World Headquarters at 770 Eastern Parkway at 1:00 p.m.)