Sophie Pearl Rosenberg

Sophie Pearl Rosenberg (Shoshana Chaya), 19, of Westlake Austin, passed away in the early hours of October 15, 2018. She died in a car crash alongside her beloved mother, Leslie. Sophie was born and raised in Austin, Texas. As a child, she was everyone’s baby sister, the littlest of them all. She felt comforted by the noise and joy of being surrounded by family. Even as an infant, if the house got quiet she would wake up crying, so used to having everything happening all around her. She loved old classic movies, including silent films, Alfred Hitchcock, and musicals from the 40’s and 50’s like Singing in the Rain. When she was eleven-years-old and broke her arm, she wasn’t interested in all the kids movies the hospital offered to put on and asked for an old-fashioned one, settling with My Fair Lady. She attended Westlake High School, where she poured her heart into working hard, achieving top grades. Not just an academic high achiever, she enthusiastically participated in color guard and robotics club, focusing on bringing her brilliance to help those around her through leading initiatives such as the Lilypad Project, which brought mobility to children attached to IV’s in hospitals. Somehow, despite all of her sensational dedication to her education she always found time for her community, to share her generous spirit through doing things such as baking homemade goodies for her friends and families’ birthdays. She was passionate about entrepreneurship and loved the Austin community surrounding it, spending as much time as possible at Capital Factory participating and supporting events such as 3-day-startup. She chose to remain in her home state, and was a mechanical engineering sophomore at Texas A&M. While there she continued to push for high achievement and was a dean’s scholar. Never content to rest on her laurels, she was always seeking out projects to pursue and new challenges to conquer. Like her mother, Sophie was devoted to the Jewish community and her family. She volunteered with Jewish Aggies at A&M, helping prepare friday night meals every week. She taught at the local Chabad and was named “Chabadnik of the year.” At home, she was a keen baker-- even going as far as getting a torch to make creme brulee, constantly concocting new recipes to accommodate everyone’s dietary needs. She was a proud aunt to all of her eight nieces and nephews, always baking or making homemade gifts with them. Sophie’s heart was huge and filled with love for her friends and family. Her brilliance was undeniable and she strongly identified as an engineer, passionate about integrating the arts into STEM so it would be STEAM (science, technology, engineering, art and math). Her radiant smile brightened the days of all who knew her, and her hugs were the warmest most inviting invitation to live a life of unconditional love, something she felt for all those in her community. Taken far too young, she will be sorely missed. We remember her bright loving heart and wisdom in her own words, with notes from her college essay: “Sometimes it was the hardest times that taught me the most [..] I love my family. Being a part of a big family has taught me the value of community and loyalty. All of my familial experiences have been invaluable in shaping my love for communities and my ability to have a positive attitude.They help me to build awareness of how to support others and myself, be steadfast in maintaining a strong work ethic, and cultivate my confidence in knowing what it takes to be a productive and effective member of a team. We are always there for each other no matter what. I can’t count how many times a stressful day was made better by my siblings making me dinner and just being there to keep me company and listen to me vent. While there were too many of us to always know the details of each other’s lives, having each other’s dependable presence impacted and inspired my desire to be there as a strong presence for others. This support allowed me to learn and experience the huge value people can add to each other’s sense of wellbeing. This knowledge is something I carry with me and informs how I approach providing support to others.” She is survived by her father, Jay, and her nine siblings: Lindsay, Jonathan, Daniel, Tzippy, Jakob, Julie, Emily, Jesse and Jason. These are two of the brightest lights that now shine down upon us. Agenda of Events Honoring Leslie & Sophie Funeral services will be held on Wednesday afternoon, 17 October @ 2:00pm at Congregation Agudas Achim (7300 Hart Lane). Burials will follow immediately thereafter at Austin Memorial Park (2800 Hancock Drive). There will be shiva minyanim at Congregation Agudas Achim beginning Wednesday night and continuing through Monday night. Your presence in our minyanim is always praiseworthy. SCHEDULE OF MINYANIM Wednesday (10/17) -- 6:00 pm Thursday (10/18) -- 6:00 pm Erev Shabbat services are at 7:00 pm Saturday night (10/20) -- 8:20 pm Sunday (10/21) -- 6:00 pm Monday (10/22) -- 6:00 pm During the day, the family will be sitting shiva in the Rosenberg home -- 1202 Arronimink Circle, Austin TX In lieu of flowers, the family is asking for support for the funds of the funeral https://www.gofundme.com/rosenbergsupport or donations to Texas A&M Chabad and Jewish Family Services.

Sophie Pearl Rosenberg

June 19, 1999 - October 15, 2018