Elaine Rudner , 91, beloved teacher , wife , mother , grandmother , mother in law, community servant and leader and friend to many , passed away peacefully in her sleep on Oct. 15, 2020 after a long series of illnesses.
Elaine was the mother of Dr. Donna Goldstein and the late Michael Goldstein, and the adopted mother of the late Michael Minsk. She was the grandmother to Casey Goldstein and Simon Goldstein and mother-in -law to Susan Goldstein and Vernal Sibble.
Her first husband, the late Richard Goldstein , was her children’s father. Her second husband, the late Leo Rudner brought much joy to her in their later years. They loved to travel throughout the United States and abroad and to cruise together exploring the world’s wonders.
Elaine held degrees from Hunter College and Barry University. She was passionate about Jewish and Yiddish culture and would have been a rabbi if she had born in a more modern time. She was a popular lecturer throughout South Florida for FAU until her mid 80’s! In addition to her full-time jobs in teaching and social work in a variety of settings, she taught Hebrew school and Sunday school and was very involved with projects at her beloved Temple Beth El , including saving a Holocaust Torah and performing the first adult Bat Mitzvah for six women, aged 47-77! She was one of the few people who was able to read from the actual Torah scrolls and did that frequently during the Jewish holiday ceremonies.
She loved to garden, enjoyed thrift stores and antiquing, was an excellent dancer and found great comfort at the beach and with her cats. She had a rich and full life and surely missed.
If you would like to make a donation in her honor (in lieu of flowers), please choose one of these three which were all passions for her:
1. www.Israelguidedog.org
2. St. Xavier’s Orphanage, Sikkim, in northern India, where our family has helped to create a library and more (.http://sxs-sikkim.org.) 3. www.templebethelhollywood.org
