The Story of a Devoted Torah Fund Supporter 

A sad addition to our previous article about Blanche Meisel by Mimi Pollack, posted April 6, 2022.

With heavy hearts, we note the passing of our sister, supporter, and friend, Blanche Meisel. She was an exceptional Jewish communal volunteer and philanthropist, dedicating 66 continuous years of service to Women’s League and the Conservative/ Masorti Movement. We honored Blanche by making her a lifetime member of the Board of Directors of Women’s League. 

Blanche served as a member of the JTS Religious Leadership Advisory Board since 1999. In 1985, The Jewish Theological Seminary awarded her their National Community Leadership Award, and Blanche and her late husband, Philip, established the Blanche and Philip (z”l) Meisel Fellowships. 

Blanche served as a board member of Schechter Institutes in Israel, and she supported the Weitzman Institute, Hadassah, Jewish Family Services, and the Jewish Federation of Palm Beach County. She can be found in Who’s Who of American Women. 

Her dear friend Lillian Radomsky said, “Blanche was soft-spoken, gracious, and a wonderful friend and mentor. She had a great sense of humor, and nothing fazed her. Torah Fund was her passion, and she had a way to encourage people to share her love. There will never be another Blanche, but she passed on her knowledge, love, and passion for Torah Fund to encourage others to take over her efforts.” At the end of our conversation, Lilian quoted Rabbi Shimon who said, “There are three crowns: the crown of Torah, the crown of priesthood and the crown of monarchy—but the crown of a good name outweighs them all.” Blanche had a good name. 

Blanche passed away on November 29, 2023, and was laid to rest on December 1, 2023. We join her four beloved sons Neil (Connie) Meisel, Myron (Carol) Meisel, Lee (Debbie) Meisel, and Bob (Joanna) Meisel, and her loving grandchildren Laura, Sascha, Zachary, Michael, Joshua, Daniel, Jason, Bryan, and Dean (Fern) in mourning her loss. Some people say, “There is a special place in heaven for a mother of three boys,” and in this case, we are sure Blanche is smiling down at us. May her memory be for a blessing.