The Legacy of Aviva Aryeh, Aviva Rachel bat Emanuel v’Malka
There is a movement in our community that has made an impression few words can accurately describe. On the eighth day of Chodesh Nissan, more than seven years ago, a young woman by the name of Aviva Aryeh was suddenly taken from our midst. The pain of her loss was unbearable. Tears flowed endlessly from those who had known her, and even from those who had not.
Evidently, this young woman was not an ordinary eighteen year old girl. She was, as many people came to realize, an extraordinary human being who loved every person and they, in turn, loved her. It was for this reason that her petirah left an excruciating void and a seemingly endless amount of pain.
What was extraordinary about Aviva was that while she functioned as a normal, healthy teenager, she strived to personify the essence of many middos that most people spend a lifetime trying to perfect. In her eighteen years, she managed to live life committed to performing mitzvos “בין אדם למקום” (between man and G-d) and “בין אדם לחברו” (between man and his fellow man). She did so in a quiet manner that allowed her, to maintain her role as daughter, sibling, aunt, friend, student, and role model to many. It was Aviva’s genuine love for people and for Yiddishkeit that enabled her to relate to people of all ages and from different walks of life.
It was this persona that inspired the creation of Moreshes Aviva. Those whom she left behind were determined to perpetuate her legacy, one middah at a time.
With tremendous siyata dishmaya (help of heaven) the list of Moreshes Aviva groups has grown rapidly. Moreshes Aviva has expanded to over 90 groups becoming a global movement spanning five continents.
Women in these communities have taken great strides to improve themselves by attending a monthly shiur about a particular middah. The shiur also includes suggestions of methods to implement practical changes
involving this middah into each person’s daily routine. Working on themselves ultimately results in the spiritual growth of their families as they bring home new ideas and fresh inspiration.
It is hard to imagine that more than seven years have passed since the inception of Moreshes Aviva. As we approach Aviva’s A”H eighth yahrtzeit, we have come to truly understand that it has been her guiding
light that has brought us all together. In her zechus, communities of women worldwide, along with their families, have been impacted in a way that can only be described as monumental. We are grateful to the
National Council of Young Israel for their interest in our program. They have contributed to the expansion of Moreshes Aviva by introducing the program in their communities nationwide.
We invite you to join us as we continue our journey with siyata dishmaya and with the knowledge that we are making a difference in ourselves, in our families, and in Klal Yisrael.