JUDY, Of Blessed Memory

JUDY GUTH

Baruch Dayan HaEmet, Blessed is the True Judge

It is with great sadness and a heavy heart that I share the news that beloved friend Judy Guth died on Rosh Chodesh Shevat, 1 Shevat 5777, Saturday, January 28th, 2017.

(Judy waited for me and only minutes after I greeted Judy with love, did she release her breathe and soul back to G*d. Judy was "ready". With my daughter on phone with me, I read Viduy to Judy.)

Yehudit bat Moshe v’ Miriam, age 86, died in her bed in Simi Valley and was surrounded by loving long-time friends.

May Judy’s neshama, soul be returned speedily to Tzror HaHayim, The Source of Life.

Judy will be dearly and deeply missed by her cherished little dog “I Love Sushi", friends in America, Israel and Hungary, and Chabad of Chatsworth community.

Judy filled with mitzvot, was a devoted friend to many and loved Israel.  May the beautiful memory of exquisite artist (in many mediums), animal and nature lover and philanthropist Judy Guth always be for a blesSing.

Beginning in the 1980’s Judy and I were both active members of the American Ceramics Society where I met her. When Judy and I traveled with 60 other ceramicists to New Mexico and Indian reservations in 1990, Judy fed all the stray cats on the streets with the cans of food she shlepped from Los Angeles. Her car trunk was always filled with animal and bird food.

Caring greatly with Chesed and B'Tzelem Elokim, in the image of G*d, Judy shlepped buckets of water to the park to nourish the needy trees and staked young trees on the public streets to protect them from wind. Each year Judy polished the synagogue's intricate silver Torah crowns in time for High Holidays, and she hand painted the shul’s fences, gates, and hired gardeners to plant and tend gardens she filled with flowers. Judy provided handicap access to the shul, and delight for the eyes.

Photos of Judy and a little of her art:  http://friendjudy.blogspot.com

A small illustrated book that Judy wrote on her Hungarian WW2 Holocaust experience is at Yad Vashem, Israel and some pages are in the website.

Today is 10 painful months after I took Judy for a biopsy...

המקום ינחם אתכם בתוך שאר אבלי ציון וירושלים

Hamakom yinachem etchem b'toch sha'ar avlei Tzion v'Yerushalayim

May the Compassionate One comfort all of us friends together with all mourners of Zion and Jerusalem.

Over the last couple years Judy donated to the local Police Departments for their fundraising, hundreds of palm-sized polished stones that she hand painted with adorable designs of plants and animals.

(I'm the only person to ever show up at the Apple store with my iMac beautifully wearing a tailored purple 'dress' because Judy made a custom cover for my computer. Dear Judy also sewed a dozen cute baby blankets for my granddaughter.)

In sympathy, 

Joy Krauthammer

Judy’s funeral/leyaya:
Thursday, February 2, 2017  9AM

Mount Sinai Memorial Park Cemetery

5950 Forest Lawn Drive, Los Angeles, CA  90068

(800) 600-0076

Rabbi Yossi Spritzer officiates.
Joy Krauthammer offers loving eulogy.

Please no flowers at the funeral but donations may be made to Judy’s favorite charities in her memory.

Memorial held February 2, 2017  7pm. in lieu of Shiva (no family) held at Chabad of Chatsworth, with Rabbi Spritzer.
Rabbi spoke on the importance of a good name.

Judy's hand-painted stones for the funeral guests

© Joy Krauthammer  2.2.2017

In addition to the officiating Chabad rabbi, this morning I gave a eulogy for my dear friend, Hungarian Holocaust survivor, Judy, z"l. Guests were invited to take one of Judy's hand-painted stones. Judy painted many hundreds and donated them to LA Police Department for their own fundraising. A cherished artist friend since the 1980's, Judy was the finest ceramicist I've ever known. Her heart and hands were filled with Hiddur Mitzvot / beautifying Mitzvot, with her love for humans, animals, nature, America and Israel. I'm blessed that I knew a woman imbued with having heart and actions B'Tzelem Elokim, in the image of G*d.

Judy liked the portrait taken on a cruise ship to Hawaii for her previous birthday 2015.

© Joy Krauthammer 

High Holidays 2017
For Sukkot 5778 I attended the Chabad where Judy loved, where she left a major inheritance for them. I sat in the seat where when I attended, I always sat next to Judy in the last row, adacent to the mehitzah / gender separator. From this seat, it was easy for Judy to reach out and kiss the Torah as it was held next to the mechitzah in back of shul. Every year for Rosh HaShanah, the head of the New Year, and for the rabbi of Chabad, in Hiddur Mitzvah / beautifying the good deed ritual Judy prepared the Keter, the crown of the Torah, by shining the sterling silver until her fingers and hands hurt. She would order the special tube of creme cleanser and took great pride in making the crown shiny for new year.

I asked the rabbi on Sukkot about the crown and he replied that the Crown had gone unshined this year. I'm sure Judy, obm, is not happy about this. I also saw that where for years, Judy had personally planted pretty flowers all year, especially at the entrance to the synagogue, there were NONE, just dirt. I felt for her soul.  Judy had planted not only at the shul, but at the rabbi's home, hiring gardeners to keep up the gardening. She had put her heart and soul and hands into caring for the shul.