Kristina Epsztein Wise

We are saddened to announce the passing of Kristina Epsztein Wise, who died peacefully at her home on Tuesday, September 19th, 2017. Kristina’s remarkable story began on March 4, 1942, when she was born to her parents, Maria and Adam Epsztein, while they were imprisoned in a labor camp in Minsk, Belarus. Her story would later be told to the world through her mother’s since-published memoirs, entitled “Motherhood Behind Barbed Wire”. Despite the unthinkable circumstances of her infancy, she not only survived, but grew into a vibrant, educated young woman in Poland where she obtained a university degree in Psychology. After she and her family were once again set into motion by anti-Semitism in Europe, she arrived in the United States in 1967 to join her aunt and cousins. She married her husband Harry in 1969 and they established their future here with the birth of their children Lily and David. She and Harry were proud founding members of the Jewish Community Center of Belle Mead, a reconstructionist temple.

Kristina’s delicate beauty belied her inner strength. Faced with a new country, a new culture and a new language, she embraced it all, driven by the desire for a better future for her children than she had. Kristina was a protective and loving mother, and a supportive wife. She was a vibrant woman who will be remembered for her ever present sense of humor and quick smile, and her warm and welcoming personality. She taught and modeled for her children the importance and power of engaging people, making them smile, and making them comfortable.

She is preceded in death by her parents, Maria and Adam Epsztein; her aunt, Rose Singer; and her younger sister, Olga Wiseman. She is survived by her husband Harry; son David and his wife Vanessa and their sons Zeke, Isaac and Levi; daughter Lily Wise Hargrove, her husband James and their sons Noah and Nate.