Judith McMillen Reppert

Judith McMillen Reppert, 70, died peacefully on December 15, 2017 at her home in Jacksonville, Florida. She is survived by her daughter, Carin; sister, Joyce; brother-in-law, Ray; and dog Louis. Judy was a beloved educator, teaching for over 40 years at the Martin J. Gottlieb Day School in Mandarin. A memorial service and celebration of her life will be held next month at the Jacksonville Jewish Center.

Paying Tribute to Judy Reppert's Memory

Dear Friends,

It is impossible to calculate the impact Judy Reppert had on countless youngsters during the course of a teaching career that spanned more than four decades. Her passion for broadening the horizon of her students through education, her love of children, and the ability to inspire a thirst for learning shaped several generations of youngsters at the Martin J. Gottlieb Day School and the Bernard & Alice Selevan Religious School. Judy truly personified the very best of the educational programs of the Jacksonville Jewish Center. As we mourn her death, it is incumbent upon us to honor her imperishable contributions to our community and seek to comfort Judy's family as well as the colleagues, students, friends, and alumni/ae who are saddened by her passing.

I am writing to share with you several ways in which we can honor Judy's memory:

The first is through saying Kaddish. Despite its name, the Mourners Kaddish makes no mention of death or mourning. Rather, the words focus on God's majesty, magnificence and holiness. The Kaddish articulates a yearning for the day when the peace of heaven is experienced on earth; it affirms the possibility of healing the fissures and fractures of life in this world. Kaddish, then, not only mirrors a traditional Jewish hope for the afterlife, but also connects us to the souls of those no longer living.

As a Jew-by-choice, Judy has no Jewish family members to recite Kaddish on her behalf. But she does have her synagogue, her students, her community. During the course of shloshim, the thirty day period of mourning which follows burial, we are seeking volunteers of bar/bat mitzvah age to recite Kaddish on Judy's behalf by attending daily minyan, morning or evening. Individuals may choose to sign up for a specific service on a weekly basis (e.g., Tuesday mornings, Wednesday evenings) or on a one-time basis for a specific date. Shloshim began this afternoon and will end Wednesday morning, January 17th. Please click here to sign-up for a minyan in the space provided. This is a mitzvah that is simple to perform, yet deeply meaningful and reflective of what it means to be a caring Jewish community.

Because Judy is being interred in West Virginia where her family plots are located, we have not had the opportunity to come together as a community to express our sense of loss as well as our gratitude for her life and her contributions. On Tuesday, January 16th, we will hold a memorial service at 2 o'clock in the afternoon to honor Judy Reppert's memory and to share condolences with members of her family, including her daughter, Carrie, and her sister and brother-in-law, Joyce and Ray Miller. We are also creating a tribute book for Judy's family and for members of our community to include anecdotes, stories, and photographs from students, graduates of all ages, colleagues, parents, and friends. To participate please click on this link.

May all of us find comfort in joining together to honor the memory of this remarkable woman and her enduring legacy in our community.

B'shalom,

Rabbi Jonathan Lubliner

Jack F. Shorstein Senior Rabbinic Chair