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Bubby Irma - A True Aishes Chayil There are rare souls who transform their whole existence to God-centered lives in their seventh decade. Natie and Irma Charles, who made aliyah from America, moved into Jerusalem’s Old City when they were in their early 60s. At the time, Natie and Irma were traditional. It didn’t take long, however, for them to fully embrace a Torah lifestyle, and soon after arriving in the Old City, Irma became the devoted “Bubby” of an entire community of yeshiva students and young couples. Her cooking skills—in her newly kashered kitchen—became legendary as she routinely fed a dozen guests every Shabbat night. More than 25 young people filled “the House of Charles” for Kiddush every Shabbat morning. On the eve of her 70th birthday, Bubby Irma published a popular cookbook-cum-memoir, Adventures in Bubby Irma's Kitchen. The book begins with the words, “I am thankful to the Almighty, who has allowed me, even after all these years, to enter into His world and has given me the opportunity to learn about Torah and mitzvot.” Changing lifetime habits is difficult because adopting a new action subtly incriminates one’s previous actions, instigating the defensive response, “What was wrong with the way I was doing it before?” In her book, Bubby Irma describes the conflicting inner voices that beset her after she had learned that an egg must be cracked into a glass and checked for bloodspots before being considered kosher:
For Bubby Irma, inner transformation became not a one-time feat, but a way of life. For two decades, she regularly attended Torah classes where frequently a half-century separated her from the other students. But this didn’t matter to Bubby, who attended many EYAHT classes with her own granddaughters, Erika Turtletaub and Timna Lopow Fried. “My grandmother’s encouraging me to go to EYAHT helped solidify so many areas of Yiddishkeit in which I was shaky,” recalls Erika, who resides in Melbourne, Australia with her husband and three daughters, and who attended EYAHT over 13 years ago. Her sister, Timna, attended EYAHT from 1996-1998, often accompanied by her Bubby. Bubby Irma’s presence at EYAHT actually began over 20 years ago. According to Irma’s daughter Vicki Charles Lopow, Irma first began attending classes taught at Rebbetzin Weinberg’s home, where EYAHT made its auspicious beginnings. How fitting it is, then, for EYAHT to dedicate the kitchens in its new campus, currently under construction in the Jerusalem neighborhood of Romema, to a woman who participated in all stages of EYAHT’s growth. “I know that my mother would be excited and immensely flattered to have the EYAHT kitchens named for her,” Vicki says. “She was a huge fan of EYAHT, and I cannot tell you how many times I heard her encouraging young women to check it out. She was absolute in her belief that EYAHT was the best place.” EYAHT alumna Rebecca Shore was one of the many such women to be inspired by Bubby Irma. Rebecca met the dynamic couple in 1983 through her brother Rabbi Ken Spiro, who was then a student at Aish HaTorah and a ben bayit (regular guest) at the Charles’ home. Together, they often attended their famous Shabbos meals and Friday night onegs (after-dinner celebrations). “They were the place to go on Friday nights,” she recalls. According to Rebecca, who attributes a large part of her religious growth to Bubby Irma, the couple “adopted” many students at Aish HaTorah and EYAHT over the last 20 years. “They were always very young in their outlook and energy, and they were always growing,” she relates. “They helped so many people become frum (religious) just through love. Irma’s gift was unconditional love. When you’re an incredibly giving, generous person, you attract people. She always gave; she never took. Plus, she was an amazing cook.” She was also a “gifted writer,” Rebecca adds, and until her passing, Bubby Irma was working on her second book, another cookbook-cum-memoir, entitled, The Adventures of Bubby Irma and Her Cowboy. When diagnosed with cancer at the age of 82, she was heard to say: “I'm trying to figure out what God wants me to learn.” On April 27, 2005 (ח' ניסן תשס"ה), hundreds of people said goodbye to this true Aishes Chayil, Chaya Rivka bat Malka, their "Bubby" of the Old City. Her example of flexibility, perseverance and good cheer in the face of adversity will remain a constant inspiration to all who knew her. As for her cooking, well, baruch Hashem, she left a great legacy to future generations of Jewish women who will strive to follow in her footsteps and become true Women of Valor themselves. EYAHT wants to help perpetuate the
memory of Irma Charles and continue her influence through
the generation of students that will be able to learn in
her merit. Israeli citizens and residents: US citizens and residents: For more information, please e-mail eyaht@aish.com cc: bonniec@aish.com Donations may be tax-deductible in accordance with the law
of the relevant jurisdiction. Its US tax ID# (EIN) is: 51-0243498 This article was excerpted and adapted from an article appearing on www.aish.com entitled “Growing Joys,” by Sara Yoheved Rigler. The section of that article covering Irma Charles is entitled, “Bubby Irma and her Cowboy.” To read the full article, go to http://www.aish.com/spirituality/growth/Growing_Joys.asp.
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