Rabbi Aharon Wieder and Mrs. Sheva Wieder were educators at heart. They spent decades teaching Jewish studies in the classroom. Yet, they spent even more time outside of the classroom teaching by example. Both survivors of the Holocaust, they were fiercely committed to rebuilding Jewish life through educating generations of Jewish children and young adults in Greater Boston.
During his lifetime, Rabbi Wieder mastered a vast number of Jewish texts. He was skilled at imparting his knowledge to his students. In his position as a teacher of Bible and Rabbinic Literature at Hebrew (Teachers) College, he was able to relate his knowledge and experiences to students from a wide spectrum of Jewish life. He also served the community as a mohel and revered rabbinic figure.
Mrs. Sheva Wieder was a regal woman with a positive outlook on life, despite losing her entire family in the Holocaust. She was a beloved elementary school teacher at Maimonides School for 39 years. Dr. David Soll, the father of a former student (and a former student himself), remembers Mrs. Wieder fondly as an exceptionally kind and caring educator.
Together, Rabbi and Mrs. Wieder built a home in which all were welcome. Mr. David Rosengard, a long-time neighbor to the Wieders, remembers them as “unassuming role models to everyone in the community.”
In their lifetimes, they supported individuals and organizations in quiet and unassuming ways. As they grew older, they were pragmatic in planning for their future, ensuring that they would be cared for during each stage of life. At the same time, their shared goal was to leave a legacy consistent with their most cherished hope; a vibrant Jewish future.
To continue their legacy, the Wieders’ included Torah Academy in their will. Their gift provides funds for a thriving Jewish school where students receive the best and most updated curriculum, at-risk students are supported, and no child is denied a Jewish education due to affordability challenges.
The legacy of Rabbi and Mrs. Wieder lives on in the hearts of their former students, and through their support of Torah Academy, they continue to educate the students of our community.