Mother of 11 Dies at 50, Daughter's Wedding Proceeds

A mother of 11, Rivka Stern, from Beit Shemesh, passed away at the age of 50 after a brief and difficult battle with a serious illness, shortly before the recent holiday. Her death has deeply shocked her community of Slonim Hassidim in Beit Shemesh and all who knew the family. Stern had begun feeling unwell several months prior, initially suspected to be liver or kidney inflammation. By the time her illness was diagnosed, it had already spread throughout her body. Despite undergoing three treatments, the disease could not be halted, and within a month and a half, she experienced internal bleeding in multiple locations. She spent her final days at Hadassah Ein Kerem Hospital. After three days on a ventilator, she awoke, and her condition seemed to improve. Her children visited her on Thursday night to wish her Shabbat Shalom, and she ate Shabbat dinner at the hospital, with doctors discussing her potential discharge. On Sunday, her son, who had just put on tefillin for the first time for his upcoming Bar Mitzvah, visited her to receive her blessing. Two days later, the bleeding recurred. Medical staff stopped it, and she was moved to intensive care. She passed away early Wednesday morning. Some of her children were present at her bedside for her final moments, while others did not make it in time. The family was not expecting her passing so soon. Since her death, the family has been moving from one event to another without pause. The seven-day mourning period concluded on Tuesday, followed by her son's Bar Mitzvah the next day. Now, the family is preparing for her daughter's wedding, which was scheduled before her illness was known, while still deep in mourning. Prior to her hospitalization, Stern worked as a devoted kindergarten teacher. She is survived by five married children and six who still live at home, the youngest being only four years old. In light of the circumstances, particularly the upcoming wedding expenses, an effort has begun to support the family. A link is provided for those wishing to contribute to helping the orphaned bride and her family.