Ruth B. (Breslau) Fein

Ruth Fein, a one-time pillar of Boston’s Jewish community and the matriarch of her large extended family, died Sunday, February 18, 2024, in her Boston home. She was 96 years old, still a force of life, displaying the deep intelligence and wit that brought her to the helm of several prestigious organizations, and earned her many awards, including honorary doctorates from Goucher College, her alma mater, and Hebrew College.

As the daughter of a Rabbi, Ruth’s identity as an activist was forged early, as she worked tirelessly in leadership roles to instill Jewish identity and values. Upon graduating from Goucher College in 1949, she married Rashi Fein, who became a nationally-recognized health economist. They moved to Chapel Hill, NC, where three of their four children were born and later to Washington, DC, where Rashi was a member of President Kennedy’s Council of Economic Advisors. Moving to Boston in 1968, Ruth rose to prominence in the Jewish community. She was the first woman to chair the Combined Jewish Philanthropies, the first woman president of the American Jewish Historical Society, which has named an annual prize in her honor. She is also a past president of the Jewish Community Relations Council of Greater Boston and the United Way of Massachusetts. She was the founding president of the New England Holocaust Memorial Committee, founding chair of the Jewish Coalition for Literacy, and a founding board member of the Jewish Women’s Archive.

But listing only her professional accomplishments would be a serious omission of an equally vital part of her identify: a lifetime of summers spent in Lake George, NY. From childhood, Ruth’s immediate and extended family began camping on one of the lake’s many islands, ultimately buying property that became a family compound. There, Ruth presided over joyous Friday night sing-a-longs and held court on her lakeside porch as generations of cousins, grandchildren, nieces and nephews wandered through to gossip, reminisce and debate world events. Outgoing and welcoming, Ruth made sure there was always room for one more at the table, whether it was a Friday night Shabbat or a Passover Seder. To hear Ruth talk about Lake George was to understand that the sun was always shining and the water was always perfect.

Ruth was born in New York to Isadore and Julia Breslau. She was predeceased by her husband Rashi Fein and the youngest and oldest and of her four children, Bena and Alan. She is survived by her children Michael and Karen (Sean Anderson); her daughters-in-law Ellen Kolton and Rose Srebro; four grandchildren, Sam, Lou, Lily and Mel; her brother and sister-in-law Joel and Bernice Breslau, and dozens of adoring nieces, nephews, and cousins.

A funeral service will be held at at the Levine Chapels at 470 Harvard Street, Brookline, MA on Tuesday, February 20, at 12:00pm followed by interment at Lindwood Memorial Park, 497 North Street, Randolph.

Memorial observance will take place at her late residence, following the interment through 8:00pm and continuing Wednesday and Thursday from 6:00-8:00pm each day.

In memory of Ruth, donations can be made to The Jewish Women’s Archive, www.jwa.org or The Lake George Conservancy, www.lglc.org/ways-to-give or The Boston Synagogue, www.bostonsynagogue.org/donations or an organization of your choice.