Tova (Dunavetzki) Shreter, age 98, beloved wife of the late Ernest (Naftali) Shreter, devoted mother of Jerry Uri Shreter, Chemda Mindy Shreter Kipness and Sarah Shreter-Labine, and their respective daughters- and sons-in-law, Regina (Sivek) Shreter, Stanley Kipness and the late Norbert Labine, passed away peacefully at home on Monday September 27, 2021, surrounded by her family.
She is also survived by her grandchildren, Dahlia (Belkin) and husband William Pease, Sharon (Belkin) and husband Jose Medeiros, Rachel (Shreter) and husband Ryan Steger, Daniel and wife Nicole (Solomon) Shreter, and Simone Labine and David Labine.
In recent years she derived much joy from watching the youngest generation of her growing family blossom, her great grandchildren Emma and Marissa Medeiros, Abraham, Samuel and Jacob Pease, Whittaker and Juniper Steger, Eden and Gabriel Shreter. From the oldest starting college to the youngest learning to sit and play, each milestone brought her joy.
The daughter of the late Moshe and Feiga (Malamud) Dunavetzki and sister of the late Dov Dvir, she and her brother were born in Tarutino, Romania. Her family moved to Iasi while she was still very young, and as a Russian Jew growing up in Romania, she spoke Yiddish and Romanian, learned French in school and Hebrew from her father, a Hebrew teacher and cantor. At age 13 she along with her brother joined the Hashomer Hatzair Youth Movement, which prepared young Jews to make aliyah (immigrate to the Land of Israel). This period of her life deepened her connection to her Jewish heritage, Israel and the Hebrew language. She made aliyah just before the outbreak of WW2. She left Romania alone through Hashomer Hatzair at age 17 because she was the first to receive a visa, benefiting from a drive to get Jewish children at risk out of Europe. Her group eventually settled Kibbutz Reshafim in Beit She’an; she left the kibbutz to marry Naftali in 1948. They lived in Haifa where Jerry and Chemda were born, and moved with them to the Bronx in 1957. She attended the Jewish Theological Seminary in NYC, and after Sarah was born worked in factories to supplement their income. Eventually they opened their first retail store and for the next 11 years they operated their own business in the Bronx. They moved to North Miami Beach, Florida when the children were grown, and continued to work together as storekeepers until Naftali passed away in 1986. She then moved to Pembroke Pines, FL, where she continued to work and to take courses from time to time, always seeking to learn and improve. In 1996 after her youngest grandchild David was born she left the warmth of Florida and braved the New England weather, (which she vowed to never do again) to help raise Simone and David. She always advocated for her children to teach their children and grandchildren about their history, their heritage, and the Hebrew language. She will be interred in Israel at Reshafim near her beloved husband, parents, brother and extended family.
Tova never stopped surprising those who knew her with her strength, wisdom and wit. She will be remembered for her bravery and fierce independence, along with her spirit of optimism, joyful passion for life, and unconditional love for her family.
Her Funeral Service will be held on Sunday, October 3, 2021 at 12:00 pm in Sugarman-Sinai Memorial Chapel, 458 Hope Street, Providence. Relatives and friends of the family are invited to attend in person or via Facebook Live.
There will be a link to click on below that will bring you to the Facebook Live Stream once the service has begun.
The family has requested that those attending wear face masks.
In lieu of flowers, donations in her honor may be made to Tifereth Israel Synagogue, 145 Brownell Avenue, New Bedford, MA 02740
