Maltzia Maya Shmoel

Maya Shmoel,

Devoted wife to her soulmate Avi, mother, grandmother, sister, aunt, great aunt, teacher, and Jewish community leader, passed away peacefully on August 5, 2023 at the age of 66 surrounded by her loving family.

Maya was the ultimate Jewish matriarch - a matriarch within her family unit and the greater Jewish community in Indianapolis.

Maya's heart and soul was centered around family. She was the family compass. She was a pillar that anyone in the family could turn to at any time and instilled the importance of the family bond to everyone in her unit. If you knew Maya, you knew about her large family as she loved talking about them to anyone who would listen. While she deeply loved all of her family members, she was most proud of her seven beautiful grandchildren and held a special bond with each of them.

Within the community, she was an instrumental part of the Hasten Hebrew Academy (HHAI) for nearly 40 years, serving both as a teacher and a board member. As the daughter of a Holocaust survivor, she was proud to be one of the founding members of the Holocaust Museum at HHAI. A quote from colleague and friend Miriam Gettinger perfectly summarizes the legacy she left at the HHAI and beyond "Her legacy pulsates life. The beauty and identity of Hebrew and Israel curricula and her advocacy for the Sh'leechot program." She was always available to help individuals get involved in the Jewish community. She helped create numerous programs and events that inspire people to further develop their Jewish identity. Maya's students were her second family and she enjoyed helping them develop into proud Jewish adults.

Maya was also a board member at the Deborah Etz Chaim Sisterhood. She loved sharing her family recipes and baking with all the women for the annual Sisterhood bake sale and participating in their year-round events.

Maya had many hobbies and interests outside of work. She was a talented artist across multiple platforms, but she was particularly talented when it came to her mosaics. She created the most beautiful and unique pieces for so many people and they are truly cherished by all who received one. Maya was also an avid mahjong player. Her many hobbies led her to some of her closest groups of friends. Another one of her favorite hobbies was baking her own recipes with her children and grandchildren to be shared with generations to come.

Maya was preceded in death by her father, Marcus Mordechai Hirsch and mother, Margalite Magzumoff Abadi.

Maya is survived by her loving husband of 48 years, Avi, their three children, Galite (Ryan) Silverman, Yanive (Victoria) Shmoel, and Oren (Sarah) Shmoel; grandchildren, Emma, Matthew, and Phoebe Silverman, and Eliza, Zachary, Asher, and Ezra Shmoel along with her siblings, Joe (Joanne) Hirsch, Michelle Hirsch (Jim z’’l) Mills, Cheli (Ari) Levy and Chaim (Dina) Abadi, along with many nieces and nephews.

Family will be receiving friends from 1-2PM prior to funeral services, which begin at 2PM, at Aaron-Ruben-Nelson Funeral Home, 11411 N. Michigan Rd., on Sunday, August 6. The funeral will be livestreamed, click here to view.

Burial will follow in  Etz Chaim Cemetery. There will be a formal procession from the funeral home to the cemetery.

Shiva will be held at the Shmoel residence, 1938 Brewster Road, Indianapolis, IN 46260, from Sunday, to Thursday  beginning at 6:30 PM with Mincha Maariv services beginning at 7:00PM.  The conclusion of shiva will be on Saturday evening, friends may visit from 7:00 PM.

In lieu of flowers please donate to the Hasten Hebrew Academy of Indianapolis .

Hasten Hebrew Academy of Indianapolis 6602 Hoover Road Indianapolis, IN 46260.