Daughter of Deceased Mother to Marry Amidst Family Grief

The daughter of the late Rivka Stern of Beit Shemesh is set to marry this coming Sunday, October 23rd. The wedding plans were made before Stern's illness was known, and the ceremony will now take place with her absence keenly felt. Stern, a mother of 11, passed away at the age of 50 just before the recent holiday, following a brief and severe battle with a serious illness. Her death has deeply shocked the Slonim Hasidic community in Beit Shemesh and all who knew the family.

Stern began feeling unwell several months ago, initially suspected to be liver or kidney inflammation. By the time the disease was diagnosed, it had already spread throughout her body. Despite undergoing three treatments, the illness progressed, leading to internal bleeding within a month and a half. 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 was about to celebrate his Bar Mitzvah, visited her for her blessing. Two days later, the bleeding recurred. Medical staff managed to stop it, and she was moved to intensive care. She passed away early Wednesday morning, with some of her children present and a minyan praying by her bedside. Others did not arrive in time.

The family has been moving from one event to another without pause. The Shiva mourning period concluded on Tuesday, and the following day marked the Bar Mitzvah of the son who had sought his mother's blessing days before her death. The family is now preparing for the wedding while their grief is still fresh. Before her hospitalization, Stern worked as a devoted kindergarten teacher. She is survived by five married children and six still at home, the youngest being four years old. In light of the circumstances, particularly the upcoming wedding expenses, an effort has begun to support the family. Donations can be made via a provided link to assist the Stern family and help bring the orphaned bride to the chuppah.