Reva Subar, 79

PROVIDENCE, R.I. – Reva L. Subar (nee Gorenstein), of Providence, passed away peacefully surrounded by her son and daughter on June 29, at her daughter’s home in Maryland. She was the beloved wife of the late Cantor Natan Subar and the late Harold Isserlis; loving mother of Ilana and Yossi Subar; dear mother-in-law of Deena Abel Subar; adoring grandmother of Natan and Noam Subar. She is also survived by her sister Libby Gillman and brother Burt Gorenstein.

Born in Winnipeg, Canada, Reva was the daughter of the late Joseph and Katie Gorenstein.  She moved to Montreal after university, and it was in Montreal where she was introduced to Israeli-born Natan Subar, with whom she fell in love and married in 1969.  Shortly thereafter they moved to Warwick, where Natan served as the cantor of Temple Am David. In 1981, after he fell ill, the family moved to Jerusalem, Israel, where he passed away. 

Reva returned to Rhode Island and raised her two children in Providence, while commuting to Massachusetts for work in the healthcare field as a cytologist. In 1997, Reva was blessed to get remarried to Harold Isserlis of Fall River, Massachusetts, with whom she shared 15 happy years. After retiring from her job at Harvard Vanguard in Boston, she spent a handful of winters in Delray Beach, Florida, where she enjoyed the warm weather, meeting new friends and staying active.

There was nothing more valuable to Reva than her family. In particular, she cherished the time she spent with her two grandsons from Brooklyn, New York, whether it was watching them play soccer or practice piano, or hearing about their latest academic achievements in both secular and Judaic studies. Most recently, she received a great deal of nachas listening to her oldest grandson, Natan, prepare for his upcoming Bar Mitzvah in September. She will be remembered as a loving, caring, energetic and resilient woman.

Contributions in her memory may be made to her synagogue, Temple Emanu-El, 99 Taft Ave., Providence, RI 02906; or Ben Gurion University of the Negev, ℅ AABGU, 1001 Avenue of the Americas, 19th Floor, NY, NY 10018.