Ida Mae Mour Obituary (1927 - 2020) - Shawnee Mission, Kansas

Ida Mae (Clayman) Mour born to Benjamin David Clayman and Fannye Rana Clayman on February 27, 1927, passed away September 2, 2020. She was married to the late A.J. Mour. Ida is survived by her daughter, Bonnie Rabicoff; son-in-law, Sam Rabicoff; daughter, Debbe Trachtman; grandson, Isaac Rabicoff; granddaughter-in-law, Samantha Symon-Rabicoff and great-grandson, Jacob Symon Rabicoff. Ida was a teacher of three generations of Jewish children spanning 60 years. It began when she was a young girl growing up during the depression. Her family could not afford to belong to a Synagogue. So she went to Rabbi Solomon, may he rest in peace, and asked him to make her Jewish. After he assured her she was already Jewish, he graciously enrolled her in their school...And her love of Judaism took shape and was inspired by those teachings and his generous spirit. While working as a bookkeeper/accountant, she taught at Hebrew High at Beth Shalom, taught Hebrew at multiple places throughout the city, Sunday school and was a youth group leader, all during the evenings and weekends. She retired at 65, but was drawn back into teaching by Rabbi Kane, who at the time was the education director of the Temple. Rabbi Kane just grabbed her up and said will you help me out. She said “I'm retired.” to which he replied, "tough." In 1982, when Ida was 55, she returned to college at the University of Missouri at Kansas City to earn a degree in Judaica studies. Everybody thought she was a nut. Ida had her own Bat Mitzvah at age 83. At her Bat Mitzvah speech, she spoke of many roles in her life, "wife, mother, grandmother, career woman homemaker and hostess (she was a liberated woman before it was fashionable). She took special care to create an environment conducive for learning for her kids. She'd remove hair out of faces, provide plenty of water to lubricate their vocal cords and brains, peanut butter sandwiches if they were hungry, sweaters if they were cold...However, if they were looking for sympathy...she told them “They’ll have to find that in the dictionary.” During her time with them, she'd also slip in information about the many contributions our people have made to the world over the centuries. She knew they would forget some of what they had learned as they prepared to become a Bar and Bat Mitzvah...It was her belief they would remember what was special about our people and the pride in being a Jew...she hoped THIS would remain for a life time. It is said that man plans, and G-d laughs. Ida was to have yet another role...Not of her choosing. That of cancer survivor. As she battled through the devastating effects of chemo therapy, she knew she had to summon the strength, each day, to get up and teach the children that were counting on her to prepare them for their special day. So now her students were sustaining HER. She referred to her daughters as a great source of joy along with the usual (sometimes not so usual) challenges. She was so proud of their many accomplishments and the women they are today. Though she never had a son, if she could have chosen one, it would have been her son-in-law, Sam. She saw him as a truly noble man and devoted to his family. Her grandson, HER Isaac, brought a dimension of joy into HER life that she never could have imagined. Now a patent law litigator, husband and father. When Isaac was 5 he told the family he would have a son someday and name him Jacob. That way he would create "our own patriarch" (Isaac's Grandfather was Abraham). On July 21st, he kept that promise with the birth of Ida's first great-grandchild Jacob Symon Rabicoff. A private family service will be held at Rose Hill Cemetery. In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to The Temple, Congregation B’nai Jehudah Youth.