Rebbetzin Reva Wasserman — affectionately known as the “First Lady of Yeshiva Toras Chaim” — passed away Nov. 1, leaving behind generations of Yeshiva alumni whom she nurtured and provided a home away from home, as well as a legacy of graciousness, model homemaking and memorable event planning.
Mrs. Wasserman was a Denver resident since 1967 when she came with her husband Rabbi Isaac Wasserman to start a yeshiva, soon to be joined by Rabbi Israel Meir Kagan and his wife Leah.
She was born Reva Bayarsky, July 28, 1938, in Baltimore, the only child of Rabbi Simon and Anna (Kahn) Bayarsky.
While attending a teacher’s seminary in New York, she was introduced by the famed Rabbi Aharon Kotler to a young rabbinic student named Isaac Wasserman, studying at a yeshiva in Lakewood, NJ. The two were wed on Thanksgiving Day, Nov. 22, 1956.
The couple stayed in Lakewood for eight years while Rabbi Wasserman studied in the kollel of Beth Medrash Gehova. Mrs. Wasserman taught, and they started their family. They then spent three years in Boston where Rabbi Wasserman served as a lecturer in Talmud.
In 1967, Isaac Wasserman was a young, idealistic rabbi with a vision of Torah outreach, instilled in him by his teacher, the Torah giant Rabbi Kotler.
Mrs. Wasserman, in a personality profile in the Oct. 26, 2007 Very Important People issue of the Intermountain Jewish News, recalled:
“One day, my husband received a call to come out to Denver to meet with Mr. [Sheldon] Beren about starting a yeshiva in Denver. I laughed ‘ha! ha!’ at the prospect of leaving the East Coast and coming to Denver, which seemed as far away as possible.
“But I said, ‘I am your partner. I’ll go wherever you go.’ And here we are 40 years later.”
Upon moving to Denver, Mrs. Wasserman started her career as an interior designer and a teacher at CARIH, the former center for asthmatic children on Denver’s West Side, while raising her family and volunteering on behalf of the fledgling Yeshiva Toras Chaim.
Mrs. Wasserman proved to be such a whiz at organizing events for the Yeshiva and its ladies’ auxiliary that she was asked to become a full-time volunteer, and that would come to define her role as “First Lady of Yeshiva Toras Chaim.”
Not only was she a partner with her husband in raising their family, she was a partner in fulfilling the mission of Yeshiva Toras Chaim, often sitting in on important meetings, strategizing sessions and fundraising missions.
She went on to become the guiding hand behind the Yeshiva’s large annual events such as the tribute banquets — one of the largest annual dinners in the community — the melave malkas , Yeshiva Toras Chaim’s alumni dinner in New York and the luncheons and other events of the Yeshiva’s ladies’ auxiliary.
Mrs. Wasserman inspired a large cadre of volunteers to assist her in promoting the Yeshiva, and in doing so, developed many deep friendships from all corners of the community and from all levels of religious observance.
Mrs. Wasserman’s perfectly-appointed West Side home was always open to Yeshiva students and community guests most every Shabbos and holiday.
She had a reputation for being a most gracious hostess and accomplished cook, putting a great deal of effort into her tablescapes.
She often received phone calls from all over the country from the wives of YTC alumni, asking for recipes that their husbands enjoyed many years before, when they were students in Denver.
A funeral service for Mrs. Wasserman was held Nov. 2 at Yeshiva Toras Chaim with Feldman Mortuary making the arrangements. Another funeral service and burial took place Nov. 3 in Lakewood, NJ.
At the Denver funeral, Rabbi Mordechai Fleisher opened the service with chanting of the 23rd Psalm. Eulogies were delivered by Mrs. Wasserman’s three sons Rabbi Yosef Shmuel, Baruch Zvi and Rabbi Aharon Yisroel Wasserman, son-in-law Rabbi Dovid Nussbaum, grandson Chaim Shneur Nussbaum, Rabbi Myer J. Schwab, Rabbi Yaakov Meyer and Rabbi A. B. Kagan.
Rabbi Tzvi Mordechai Feldheim, a YTC alumnus and former longtime principal of its high school, as well as family members, spoke at the service in Lakewood, NJ, where she was buried.
One common theme running throughout the eulogies was Mrs. Wasserman’s exquisite sensitivity. She was always ready with a kind comment, a thoughtful phone call, and just the right gift, often when none was expected. Her consideration extended to everyone she came in contact with, both within and without the Yeshiva’s circle, which she did much to enlarge.
Mrs. Wasserman is survived by her husband Rabbi Isaac Wasserman; children Rabbi Yosef Shmuel (Shprintzy) Wasserman, Sara Gittie (Rabbi Dovid) Nussbaum, Baruch Zvi (Tzivia) Wasserman and Ahron Yisroel (Hadassah) Wasserman; and many grandchildren and great-grandchildren.
© IJN 2025
