It is with the utmost sadness and sympathy that we at Kadimah share the news of the passing of Toby Ticktin Back, one of the beloved founders and longtime supporters of Kadimah School of Buffalo, and the last of that esteemed group that gave life to our school. Toby passed away in Jerusalem on November 10, 2025 at the age of 98.
Toby and her husband, Nathan, joined with Rabbi Isaac and Henriette Klein and others more than 66 years ago to form Kadimah as a community Jewish day school in Buffalo, dedicated to providing a non-denominational all-day Jewish education for all Jewish children in Western New York, regardless of background or financial means. Kadimah was incorporated on Aug. 17, 1959, and opened that September with 15 students. A visionary educator and community leader, Toby served as the first president of the Kadimah Parent Teachers Association, and was an innovative educator at Kadimah in the 1970s and 1980s. Inspired by her friendships with Holocaust survivors who moved to Buffalo in the 1950s and 1960s, she invited survivors into her classroom to share their stories of courage and resilience, ensuring that the memories of what happened would remain strong. She remained a loyal and committed supporter of Kadimah throughout her time in Buffalo, and also founded the Holocaust Resource Center of Buffalo (now Holocaust Education and Resource Organization, or HERO) – both institutions that continue to embody her commitment to learning, remembrance, and communal responsibility.
A native of Philadelphia who graduated from Temple University and Gratz College, Toby lived in Buffalo from 1955 to 2000, when she and her husband moved to Israel, where she lived for the past 25 years.
She is survived by her four children – Ephraim (the first student enrolled), Aaron, Rachel and Sara – as well as nine grandchildren and three great-grandchildren. She was predeceased by her beloved husband, Nate (Nissan), and daughter, Adina.
May her entire family be comforted by their memories, may they always be for a blessing, and may Toby live on in the hearts and minds of Kadimah and its students.