Ada Draza Rubenstein Obituary (1917 - 2014)

Ada Draza Rubenstein, age 96 of St. Paul, Minnesota, passed away on March 14, 2014. She was preceded in death by her beloved husband Arnold and her brothers Herschel and Paul (Butch) Rifkin. She is survived by her sister Dorothy "Dottie" Lipschultz; children Ellen Salisbury (Thomas) and Dr. Allan Rubenstein; granddaughters Elizabeth Walsh (Robert) and Ayla Rubenstein; great-granddaughter Sadie Walsh; and loving nieces and nephews. Ada was born in St. Paul, attended the University of Minnesota High School and received an AA degree from the University of Minnesota. She became an active part of the Jewish community in her youth as a member of the JCC, fostering her love of community and volunteerism. She was an active member of Hadassah beginning in the mid 1940’s, becoming secretary and eventually president. She always attributed her love of Hadassah to her mother and role model, Rose Rifkin. Her passion for involvement in charities grew from there. Her flexibility and ability to work well with people enabled her to become very active in a number of local and national charities. Ada had an intense interest in Israel as well as the Jews of the diaspora. She participated in many missions to Israel and European countries with a Jewish population, supporting the needs of the general as well as the Jewish communities, doing for others from St. Paul to St. Petersburg. From women’s divisional chairmanships to organizational presidencies, Ada was a role model in all facets of volunteerism -- locally, nationally, and internationally -- often being the first woman to hold such leadership positions. Sholom was her pet project; along with Hadassah. She was a pioneer, an innovator, and a strong leader who had a special interest in providing for the elderly not only with competence, but also with dignity and grace. Active in Sholom since the early 1960’s, she has led that organization to the forefront of caring for our “graying” community. Her efforts in merging the George Kaplan Sholom Home and the Jewish Home for the Aged are the stuff of legends; as she said “it was a real feat of diplomacy, especially the two auxiliaries”. Ultimately she became president of Sholom Home Inc. and fostered an organization that could provide a full continuum of care to the community. Who can forget the picture of Ada in a hard hat digging the first hole for the construction of the Shaller Campus of Sholom Home in St. Paul? In addition to her many activities on behalf of the Jewish community, Ada was chairman of the Mother’s March of the March of Dimes. The recognition of her myriad contributions to the greater community led to her award as one of the “Volunteers of the Year”, from the Minneapolis/St. Paul magazine in October of 2007 at the age of 90. Ada celebrated her Bat Mitzvah on her 65th birthday, renewing her love of Judaism. She was one of the first residents of the new Sholom Home East, in the Benson Assisted Living Program, where she resided until her death. The family wishes to thank the staff at Benson for their loving care of Ada for the past five years. Funeral service 2:00 pm MONDAY, March 17, 2014 at the TEMPLE OF AARON SYNAGOGUE, 616 S. Mississippi River Blvd., St. Paul. In lieu of flowers memorials are preferred to the Ada Rubenstein Memorial Fund at Sholom. SHIVA, 7:00 pm, Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday at Sholom Home East, 740 Kay Ave., St. Paul.