Lailla Rapoport - Steeles Memorial Chapel

In addition to the in-person service at the Chapel and Cemetery, the funeral will also be live-streamed. To view the service virtually, please go to https://smclive.ca/ on Thursday, August 10th, 2023 at 11:00 a.m. (Chapel service). The live-stream of the burial service at the Cemetery will follow.

On Tuesday, August 8, 2023, 21 Av 5783. Beloved wife of the late Dr. Abraham Rapoport and mother of Nessa and Tobi, Ruth, Tova and Du, Myra and Michael. Adored Savta of cherished grandchildren and Savta Rabbah of treasured great-grandchildren. Daughter of Meyer and Mattie Rotenberg and devoted sister, sister-in-law, aunt, cousin, and friend. Dedicated, lifelong learner of Hebrew, Tanakh, Talmud, and Yiddish. Passionate about Jewish education, MEd and Hebrew teacher for many years. Innately ethical, exemplar of hakhnasat orchim, dispenser of sage, practical advice and financial guidance. Grammar fanatic, ardent exerciser, and baker of delicious cookies. She was grateful every day for her long, rich, and blessed life—and so are we. With heartfelt thanks for their constant, loving care to Rose, and Evelyn, Nora, and Gina.

Memorial donations maybe made to Associated Hebrew Schools of Toronto 416-494-7666

https://www.associatedhebrewschools.com/support-ahs/donate-now or

Peace of Mind Canada https://www.pomcanada.com/donate-now

Message of Condolence

Posted on 09.08.2023 - 12:43 PM

Malka Rotenberg

So very sorry for your loss. Lailla was a very smart and charming woman. Fondly Malka Rotenberg

Reply • Report

Posted on 09.08.2023 - 1:31 PM

Philip & Caryn Ladovsky & family

To the Rapoport family: we are saddened by the loss of your wonderful Mother/Savta Ruth. Her passions and her interests seemed to be accompanied by a keen sense of amusement, and she always had a smile to share. May her memory remain a blessing for all who knew and loved her.

Posted on 09.08.2023 - 3:35 PM

Friedman

Myra Ursula and I are very saddened to hear of your Mom's passing. I will try to be in attendance Thursday. Our thoughts and prayers are with you and Michael. Allan Friedman

Posted on 09.08.2023 - 4:39 PM

Laurie Markus

Myra & Michael, Sorry to hear of the loss of your mother. I have very fond memories of her

Posted on 09.08.2023 - 5:08 PM

Toby Herscovitch

Dear Ruth and family, Our deepest sympathies to you and your family. I know how devoted you were to your mom, which is a powerful symbol of her legacy. May her memory be for a blessing to you and your family. Toby Herscovitch and family

Posted on 09.08.2023 - 5:29 PM

Elaine Matlow

Dear Nessa, Ruth, Tova,Myra and families. So sorry for your loss. Lailla was a significant presence in my life for so many years. She will be sorely missed. With love- Elaine

Posted on 09.08.2023 - 5:37 PM

Lisa Noble

Dear Ruth & family, My deepest condolences on the loss of your beloved mom. May her memory always be for a blessing & inspiration and provide you with strength during this difficult time. Lisa Noble

Jacob and Esther Freedman and family

We are so sorry for your loss, and our thoughts are with you and your family. May the happy memories you have of Lailla give you comfort and peace. Please accept our deepest sympathies.

Posted on 09.08.2023 - 6:38 PM

Susie Shillow

Dear Ruth Sincere condolences on the loss of your dear mother. May your cherished memories give you splice during this sad time Susie Shillow

Posted on 09.08.2023 - 7:30 PM

jeanette goldman

Leila was a dear and admired friend. A role model to her many friends who benefited from her wisdom and enjoyed her practical advice and humour . I am so grateful for the many Friday dessert evenings, which Leila and Abe hosted for their many friends. She will be missed.

Posted on 09.08.2023 - 8:15 PM

Janice Lebow

To the family of Lailla Rapport:: I was saddened to hear of Laillah's death. She was always an inspiration through the years of being her neighbour. She was an icon. Noone would have believed her actual age. Her intelligence, aditude, her knowledge....her fortitude...long walks and her exercise classes,her stories of many decades past. Then there were her tales of beloved family memories and her ,then present proud articulations of her children and grandchildren accompllishments here and in Israel. I also had been concerned about her whereabouts as she seemed to have disappeared after Covid made its ominous entrance into the world. I didn't know who to ask as to where she was and for that matter where to forward her mail. I had prayed for 3 years that she was still on this earth. I will cherish the gift of her presence in my life. I know that she loved and adored her kids and grandkids and you should rely on your loving memories to sustain you at this sad and poignant time. Hamakom Yenachem Etchem Betoch Shaar Avalei Tzion ve Yerushalyim and know no more sorrow. Janice Lebow

Posted on 09.08.2023 - 8:54 PM

Sharon Cherniak

The Cherniak family send sincere condolences on the loss of Lailla. She shared many of her gifts and was a kind person with a ready smile.

Posted on 09.08.2023 - 9:28 PM

Sheila Engel Cohen

A beautiful smile. A lovely woman who was always a pleasure to see. A quiet neifhbour who I respected for her humility and humanity. My sincere condolences for a beautiful nashuma gone from this world.

Posted on 09.08.2023 - 9:35 PM

Gerry Maldoff

Ruth and family, I remember your mother from many years ago..So strong, intelligent and soft spoken. No matter how old we are, it is not easy to lose a parent. My thoughts are with you and your family Gerry

Posted on 09.08.2023 - 9:43 PM

Janice Maser

Dear Ruth and Family, My deepest condolences on the loss of your dear Mother and Savta. Ruth, words cannot express the tremendous amount of loving care you devoted to your cherished Mother. You were such a steadfast comfort to her. May her memory be a blessing and comfort.

Posted on 09.08.2023 - 11:04 PM

Judy Margolis

Dear Ruth, saddened to learn of your profound loss. Your mother was clearly a remarkable woman of consequence and a great role model for a life well-lived. May her memory be a blessing.

Posted on 10.08.2023 - 2:16 AM

Stephen Glazer

Dear Nessa, Ruth, Tova, Myra and the entire Rapoport-Rotenberg Family, News of Lailla's passing reached us yesterday and we are saddened by the news. In the long distant past of the 1960s, I remember her and Abe from the first years of Camp Ramah in Canada. In the present, I recall how much I enjoyed meeting up with her in the Minyan on our visits to Toronto. She always had a nice word to say about our mother Helen and I always enjoyed that. She was a blessing for us all. Hamakom yenachem etchem betoch she'ar avaylay Tzion v'Yerushalayim. Besorot Tovot, Stephen Glazer, Jerusalem

Posted on 10.08.2023 - 7:18 AM

Joy Goodman

During their joint lifetimes, Lailla was probably my mother’s closest friend, confidant, and fellow Yiddish scholar (although Mom always averred that Lailla’s Yiddish was far more grammatically correct) . I remember her with great fondness.

Posted on 10.08.2023 - 8:01 AM

Helen Senor

My condolences to the Rapoport family on your great loss. Lailla was a dear friend during my years in Toronto. I remember her wonderful intellect, humour and sensitivity to others. She often accompanied me to lectures and cultural events. On my occasional return trips to Toronto it was always a pleasure to see her and be with her. She will be missed. May her memory be a blessing. Helen Senor May her memory be a blessing. Helen Senor

Posted on 10.08.2023 - 9:58 AM

Karen Kollins

Lailla was one of my very first Hebrew school teachers at Holy Blossom Temple - I remember her fondly. May her memory be a blessing.

Posted on 10.08.2023 - 10:48 AM

Bambi Katz

To Lailla's Family I am very saddened to learn of Lailla's passing. My connection to Lailla is through her many years of teaching Hebrew to hundreds upon hundreds of students at Holy Blossom Temple, including my own daughter. For a number of years prior to her retirement, I was the principal of the school and could always see how happy Lailla was to be in the classroom. She was so devoted to her students and took great pleasure in their accomplishments. She was an excellent teacher and such a bright, intelligent person, much to be admired. After her retirement, I often met her when she came to study in adult classes and loved talking with her. She had great insights on life and learning. May Lailla's memory be for a blessing and may the family be sustained with wonderful memories of a very special mother, grandmother and great grandmother.

Posted on 10.08.2023 - 11:38 AM

Rabbi Saul and Shellee Berman

Dear Nessa, Ruth, Tova and Myra. Aside her love and care, your mother, Of Blessed Memory, apparently gifted all of you with the capacity to actualize Holiness in the world and in relationships through the use of Words, not only those written and spoken in Lashon HaKodesh. May the sorrow and the love that unite you as one in this moment bring you comfort and joy as you share with each other and with your extended family the memories of Lailla's beauty and Holiness.

Posted on 10.08.2023 - 11:43 AM

Michelle Collier

Ruth, my deepest sympathies to you and your family on your loss. You and your sisters did a wonderful tribute to your mother and are a credit to her legacy. May her memory be for a blessing. - Michelle

Posted on 10.08.2023 - 12:07 PM

To Lailla's Grandchildren. While Halacha does not yet specifically prescribe a process of mourning for grandchildren, it is both necessary and appropriate for you to acknowledge and to give expression to your sense of loss at your grandmother's passing, separately from the support which you need to offer to your parents. You have been gifted with many years of love and shared wisdom which you need now to consolidate in memories that will last you a lifetime. You need also to preserve the memories of the love with which your parents cared for their mother, Ale'ha HaShalom.

Posted on 10.08.2023 - 12:09 PM

Lawrence Ian Geller

Dear Ruth: Your love of, and devotion to your mother were central to many of our conversations over the past several years, but my memory of her, your father, sisters and you are around a Shabbat table where the conversations were eclectic and formative for us, as young people participating as we could, and listening most often. Your parents were true menschen, as are you. My condolences and best wishes to you all at this most difficult time, and for the future.

Posted on 10.08.2023 - 12:37 PM

Toby Trompeter

Dear Myra, Nessa, Ruth, Tova and families, שתח' I am so sorry for your loss and am sorry I couldn't be at the Levaya. I will always remember your Mom - and Dad - עליהם השלום - who were there for me with guidance and acted as references in that awkward time of applications for university and scholarships in a way that my own survivor parents could not be. Your mother was the first Mom I knew to care about healthy eating, choosing to serve whole wheat over white bread when Myra wanted her peanut butter on toast. I came over a lot to your home where your Mom was always warm and welcoming but gave us lots of space; she always seemed lost in thought. Intellectual and practical - Myra made sure to pass along your Mom's practice of using a straw to suck the air out of the bread bag before closing it and putting it in the freezer!! May her Neshama rise high in Shamayim and be a מליצת יושר for the whole family and כלל ישראל. With love, Toby

Posted on 10.08.2023 - 1:20 PM

Elaine tanenzapf

Mishachat Rapoport…you were blessed to have had such exceptionally wonderful parents. Their appreciation for education, yiddishkite, love of family….impacted several generations. Plus fond memories of summers at ramah…50 years ago…

Posted on 10.08.2023 - 1:37 PM

Laurie King

To Ruth and family, I'm so deeply saddened to hear of the passing of Lailla. Please accept my most sincere condolences during this difficult time. Lailla was a remarkable person. It was a true pleasure and privilege to have know her these past 3 years. Her dedication to fitness with me was such an inspiration. I'll always remember Lailla's playful wittiness, during our workouts. Whether Lailla was singing as we would count out her reps, correcting my grammar or high-fiving after a Tabata work-out she was always determined to give it her best with every work-out. I will truly miss her. Wishing you and your family strength and peace during this challenging time. My deepest sympathy. Laurie

Posted on 10.08.2023 - 1:52 PM

ayala burg

Dear Myra , I was so sorry to hear of the loss of your dear mother and send my condolences to you and the family. I have very fond memories of interesting discussions with her at your kitchen table after school and in later years. Thinking of you , love, Ayala המקום ינחם אתכם בתוך שאר אבלי ציון וירושלים

Posted on 10.08.2023 - 9:26 PM

Freya Morrison

Dear Ruth, I'm so very sorry to hear of your mother's passing. Laila was truly a very special lady, emphasis on lady. My thoughts are with you and your family at this very sad time. I know she will be greatly missed. Baruch dayan ha'emet.

Posted on 11.08.2023 - 1:13 AM

Avital Rotenberg

Dear Nessa, Ruth, Tova, Myra and ... Rebecca, Ben, Ethan, Josh, Mattie, Doria, Mati, Leora, Miriam & Ruth, Though the time had come, the loss of your mom/Savta is great. I wish I was closer physically. I didn't grow up along side Lailla but she has always been an important person in my life. My father's beloved sister, our aunt with the inviting giggle, who sat with us in your kitchen in her one of a kind yellow high chair. I will miss Laila. ברוך דיין האמת

Posted on 11.08.2023 - 8:20 AM

Adele & David

Dear Myra, Michael and family Our deepest condolences on the passing of your mom. Wishing you strength. Beautiful memories Fondly Adele & David

Posted on 11.08.2023 - 12:21 PM

Penina Sotto

Dear Myra and Family, My sincerest condolences on the loss of your mother Lailla. I have fond memories of both your parents during our high school years at CHAT and beyond. My mother also knew her well and sends her condolences as well. May her memory be a blessing. Fondly, Penina ( Galper) Sotto

Posted on 12.08.2023 - 9:40 AM

Naomi

Condolences to you and your family on the loss of your mother, may you gather strength in the wonderful memories you have stored over the years. Warmest Wishes Naomi

Posted on 12.08.2023 - 1:34 PM

Rick and Laura Orzy

Ruth, Myra, Tova and Nessa: We were very sorry to hear about your Mother's passing. Over many years at Beth Haminyan, we always enjoyed our frequent conversations and sometimes even deep discussions with Lailla. She was an extremely nice and truly intelligent woman and always exhibited great poise and class. I (Rick) also remember her very fondly from those days at Ramah in the 60's/70's(?). We are very sorry for your loss and we would certainly be attending the shiva if we didn't live in Israel. המקום ינחם אתכם בתוך שאר אבלי ציון וירושלים

Posted on 12.08.2023 - 9:26 PM

Phyllis Angel Greenberg

Nessa, I am Joy and Michael’s Toronto friend. I met you at Michael’s launch a few months ago. I was so very moved by you and your sisters’ words and especially by your mother’s “living will”. I only met your mother once, many years ago, for a wonderful dinner and evening at Elaine Cooper’s. Laila was such a force and so proud of her family. We talked about other friends of hers who were also friends of mine — Miriam Teitel and Sarah Rumack, I feel fortunate to have met her. Condolences to you and your family. Your extraordinary memories of your mother’s extraordinary life will always bless your lives.

Posted on 13.08.2023 - 5:15 PM

Judy Orzy

I am so sorry for your loss. Your Mother/Grandmother was my first, and favourite, teacher at Camp Ramah in the 60's. And I was so pleased to be able to connect with her again at Beth Haminyan over the years. She was a lovely person, very bright and thoughtful. May you be comforted by your memories and by the knowledge that she made a difference during her time here. She'll be missed by many.

Posted on 14.08.2023 - 11:47 AM

Betty Cohen and Sherry Kelner

Dear family Walking home from the Minyan with Mom was a real treat for us. We laughed and learned all at the same time. What a treasure you had.

Posted on 14.08.2023 - 1:15 PM

Tamar Ehrlich

Dear Nessa, Ruth, Tobi and Tova, Your mother was a dear friend since your father, my husband and I enjoyed a proffesional ( med), as well as personal friendship many years ago. More recently she and I were students of Talmud and I had a chance to appreciate Leila’s knowledge and generous nature. I wish you nechama and grieve with your family for a rare soul. With love and sadness, Tamar Ehrlich

Posted on 21.08.2023 - 7:17 PM

Shari Brenner

Dear Ruth I am so sorry for your loss. I knew your mom for many year and was really fond of her. So hard losing a mother. May her memory be for a blessing. Shari

Posted on 02.09.2023 - 11:30 PM

David Teitel

Unfortunately I'm writing this almost four weeks after Lailla, a"h, passed away, but I only just found out. I admired Lailla for her keen intellect, her warmth and her wisdom. I'll always be grateful for the kindness and support that she gave to my mother, when Mom's health was failing. Condolences to family. May her memory always be a blessing.

Posted on 13.09.2023 - 9:25 AM

Alan and Paula Warren

It is with great saddness that i just found out about Lailla's passing. Our condolencea. She will be greatly missed.