A Shloshim Memorial Service honoring the life of Lois May Jaffin Levine, the mother of Miami-Dade Mayor Daniella Levine Cava, was held this week at Chabad Chayil in Miami-Dade North.
The program began with a heartfelt performance by children from Chabad’s CHAP program, a daily after-school program for Jewish public school students. The children sang a song about the neshama, setting a reflective tone for the evening.
Rabbi Moishe Kievman of Chabad Chayil then taught 2 Mishnas corresponding to Lois May’s Jewish name, Leah Malka, with a Kabalistic Chassidic explanation based on the teachings of The Rebbe. The Kel Maleh Rachamim prayer was led by Rabbi Zalman Gansburg from Chabad of Palmetto Bay.
Mayor Levine Cava read two poignant poems her mother wrote shortly before her passing, offering a glimpse into her mother’s wisdom.Everyone there joined together in singing a chapter of Tehillim, followed by Kaddish and the traditional verses of condolences.
The mayor was presented with a BuildChabadChayil.org plaque representing a dedicated square foot in the new Chabad Chayil center currently under construction in Highland Lakes. Her name will also be on permanent display together with all others that dedicated square feet or any part of the building.
The event, which drew community members and local leaders, exemplified the values of faith, family, and community that Lois Levine instilled in her loved ones.
Mayor Levine Cava, the first Jewish and first female mayor of Miami-Dade County, has been a trailblazer in public service. Overseeing a government with more than 28,000 employees and serving nearly 3 million residents, she manages an annual budget of $13 billion. Originally from Brooklyn, she was first elected as a Miami-Dade County Commissioner in 2014 and became mayor in 2020, securing re-election in 2024.
The Memorial service was organized by Rabbi Moishe & Layah Kievman. Rabbi Kievman who helped the mayor place Mezuzahs in her office when she was first elected, and has made sure she has Shmura Matzah for her Passover Seders.. said that we are lucky to have a mayor who understands the needs of each community and makes it her business to do whatever she can to help. When there was an issue with faith-based schools throughout the county being faced with a choice of either opening up their schools to everyone, thus losing their identity, or to give up on funding, we turned to Mayor Levine Cava. The mayor called all involved parties to that meeting and made sure all issues were resolved before the meeting finished. Can you imagine the nachas of hundreds of Jewish children being able to attend Jewish schools, gives her late mother?
The memorial ended with the mayor together with everyone there making blessings on different types of food. Giving hundreds of merits to her mothers soul.
