Bracha Qafih also known as Bracha Kapach (Hebrew: ברכה קאפח; 1922 – 26 November 2013) was an Israeli rabbanit, wife of Rabbi Yosef Qafih, who was awarded the Israel Prize for her charitable work.[1]
Bracha Qafih | |
|---|---|
ברכה קאפח | |
 Bracha Kapach | |
| Born | 1922 Yemen |
| Died | November 23, 2013 (aged 90–91) Israel |
| Other name | Bracha Kapach |
| Occupation | Rabbanit |
| Known for | Philanthropy and Tzedakah |
| Spouse | Yosef Qafih |
| Awards | Israel Prize (1999) |
Early life
editBracha was born in Yemen, into the Saleh family. She was married to her first cousin, Yosef Qafih, at the age of eleven.[2] Seven years later, they immigrated to Palestine with their three children, one of whom died on the way. Another son, Arieh, was born in Palestine.[1]
Social work
editQafih’s first enterprise in the country was running an embroidery workshop employing 50 Yemenite women. For over half a century, she organized holiday food packages for the needy of Jerusalem. The food was packaged by student volunteers and distributed from her home in Nahlaot.[1] Qafih also collected old wedding gowns to loan to brides from poor families.[3]
Awards and recognition
editIn 1999, Kapach was awarded the Israel Prize for her special contributions to society and the State of Israel.[4] Kapach and her husband are the only married couple to have both won the Israel Prize.[5]
In 2018, a street in her Jerusalem neighborhood of Nahlaot was renamed in her honor, alongside her husband.[6]
Her biography is included Danny Siegel's 1998 volume Munbaz II and Other Mitzvah Heroes and his 2020 anthology Radiance: Creative Mitzvah Living. It is also expounded in a 2005 Hebrew work called V'zot HaBracha (literally: "and this is the blessing") by Yael Shai.[7] There is also a Hebrew children's book about her and her husband called Ankei HaTorah Ve-haḤesed ("The Giants of Torah and Chesed") by Noam and Shira Nagrober, as part of the "Gedolei HaUmah" ("Great Ones of the People") series.[8]
References
edit- 1 2 3 A rising star, The Jerusalem Post Archived 2013-12-03 at the Wayback Machine
- ↑ Rebbetzin aids Jerusalem poor
- ↑ Teaching Jewish Life Cycle: Traditions and Activities, Barbara Binder Kadden, Bruce Kadden
- ↑ "Israel Prize Official Site - Recipients in 1999 (in Hebrew)".
- ↑ Rebbetzin aids Jerusalem poor Archived 2012-06-03 at the Wayback Machine
- ↑ "Jerusalem: Committee Approves Naming Several Streets After Distinguished Individuals". 6 September 2018.
- ↑ שי, יעל (2005). "וזאת הברכה :: סיפורה של ברכה קאפח /".
- ↑ מאיר, יהודה. "ענקי התורה והחסד הרב והרבנית קאפח". ספרי אור החיים (in Hebrew). Retrieved 2024-12-24.