Reena Group of Charities would like to express our deepest condolences of the recent passing of Lea Hochman, mother of Sheila Lampert, Reena Foundation’s Executive Director.
Lea Hochman z”l, a Holocaust survivor who dedicated herself to teaching others about the horrors of antisemitism and the importance of faith, died in Richmond Hill on August 6, two weeks shy of her 101st birthday.
Hochman (nee Zimmerman) was born in Pohorce, a small town in Poland with only nine Jewish families.
“My mom would often say that she ‘hid in plain sight’ during the Shoah, relying on her ability to pass herself off as a Gentile. She used to refer to herself as an actor without a script,” said Sheila Lampert, the youngest of Hochman’s three daughters.
“My mom was my biggest role model,” Lampert said. “She taught me that it is important to make a good name for yourself. Never turn down the opportunity to do a mitzvah. Never look for honour. Be humble and honour will find you.”
Hochman was buried in Montreal and is survived by her three daughters, nine grandchildren and 24 great-grandchildren.
May her memory be a blessing.
