Holocaust survivor and founder of Kleinfeld Bridal, Hedda Kleinfeld Schachter, passed away one year ago at the age of 99. Hedda Kleinfeld was born in Vienna, Austria, in 1924. Her family managed to escape Europe and found refuge in Cuba before settling in Brooklyn in 1940. Hedda’s father opened a fur store in 1941, where she met Jack Schachter. The two soon married and together expanded the store to carry suits, cocktail dresses, and eventually bridal wear. In 1969, Hedda introduced wedding dresses from European designers, which was a big success, and by 1979, the store began to focus exclusively on bridal wear. Hedda and Jack sold the business in 1990. Today, Kleinfeld’s is known to have the largest selection of wedding dresses in the world, an empire built by Hedda. May her memory be a blessing.
Photo: Ilana Schachter
