Chana
By: Chana Prus
In the face of a devastating tragedy of this magnitude, it is hard to find words to express ourselves. Yet as classmates and friends of such a warm, vivacious, gentle, and kind-hearted person, we want to share some brief thoughts to underscore the depth of our loss.
Chana's charm and grace were legendary. Classmates and friends worldwide are comforted with the memory of her infectious grin and giggle, and her unique way of seemingly always being in a good mood she had a positive personality that encouraged us to look for the silver lining in tough situations. Chanas consistently sunny demeanor persisted through her terrible illness, and remarkably, she often comforted us with her words of positive encouragement, strong faith, and unfailing grace and elegance.
Friendships were important to Chana, and we cherished the strong bond that we shared with her. A truly special friend, Chana supported us and was a thoughtful and attentive listener. She was a skilled conversationalist and actually thought before she said something. When posed with a sensitive question, Chana would often ask for a few minutes to think it over and then get back with an appropriate response.
In addition to her extraordinary warmth and generally happy disposition, Chana was a great friend because she was a lot of fun. She was adventurous, kind, exciting, fun to joke around with, and loved traveling. Among other places, she visited and worked at camps and on Shlichus in Denmark, Russia, Thailand, Japan, and across the US. She left behind legions of fans wherever she went and people worldwide were affected by her charming and gentle personality. Chana really loved children and was an energetic and responsible counselor, and her campers loved her.
Chana was a very social person, and we could count on her to host gatherings, farbrengens, reunions, bridal showers, tehillim groups, etc. etc. She inherited her sense of hachnasos orchim from her parents and grandparents, and when hosting an event was concerned that guests felt comfortable and entertained. She'd move from place to place, group to group, making sure that everyone was well fed and happy. Along with her family, Chana was a strong supporter of the community and strove to shop in Crown Heights stores. She also encouraged us to shop within the community to strengthen Crown Heights businesses.
Her support for the community did not stop there Chana was a constant presence at class functions, and especially enjoyed participating in simchas. We all remember receiving phone calls from Chana reminding us about upcoming weddings and l'chaims, urging us to consider attending even though the timing was difficult or we were not particularly close with the Kallah. As classmates, Chana believed we should all join in the simcha of a fellow classmate.
Even though she was very social and loved meeting new people, Chana was private and authentically Tznua. Her acts of goodness and kindness were often the kinds that occur behind the scenes, and she made no attempt to gain attention or recognition for these actions.
One of Chana's unique features was her elegance and polish. Chana was the perfect example of the way to get dressed, and we all looked to her for advice. She had a great eye and we often relied on her for a final touch she'd often add a belt, bag, jewelry, or broach that would elevate different pieces of clothing into an ensemble that made us feel great. Chana complimented people generously and excelled at making comments that lifted our spirits.
Chana got engaged on her 21st birthday and remarked that it was her best birthday present ever. A little over a month before the wedding, she began to feel unwell and was diagnosed with a terrible illness. Remarkably, her positive outlook continued in the face of intense hardship and suffering. Indeed, she purchased boxes and boxes of a book called a Healthy in Body, Mind, and Spirit a compilation of the Rebbe's letters relating to health that is full of positive encouragement. Chana would generously hand this book out to her doctors, nurses, and hospital staff, as well as to friends and family. She wanted us all to read it and remain encouraged. She emphasized that everything happens for a reason and that all we needed to do was pray and do good deeds. Ironically, we often found that Chana was the one comforting us when we were upset. Her faith was truly exceptional. In the face of hardship, Tracht gut vet zein gut became her motto and way of life.
We cannot pretend to understand G‑d's ways, and are truly broken and distraught by this loss. These paragraphs are just a microscopic glance at the life of a brilliant girl whom we love and will cherish forever.