Daughter of Deceased Mother Marries Amidst Family Grief
Translated & summarized from JDN by baba
The daughter of the late Rivka Stern of Beit Shemesh is getting married today, L'd Tevet, just days after the conclusion of her mother's shiva mourning period. Stern, 50, passed away after a short illness, leaving 11 children. The family has been dealing with a series of events, including the son's recent Bar Mitzvah, and now faces wedding expenses amidst their grief. An effort is underway to raise funds to support the family.
The story in 5 lines · by baba
- The daughter of the late Rivka Stern is marrying today, L'd Tevet, shortly after her mother's passing.
- Rivka Stern, a mother of 11, died at age 50 after a brief battle with a serious illness.
- The family recently celebrated the Bar Mitzvah of Stern's son, who had sought her blessing before her death.
- Stern worked as a kindergarten teacher and is survived by five married children and six at home.
- An effort is underway to raise funds to assist the family with wedding expenses.
The daughter of the late Rivka Stern of Beit Shemesh is set to marry today, L'd Tevet, in a ceremony that was planned before her mother's illness was known. The wedding will now take place with the mother's absence keenly felt. Stern, a mother of 11, passed away at the age of 50 just before the recent holiday, following a brief and difficult battle with a serious illness. Her passing 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 spread throughout her body. Three treatments failed to halt its progression, and within six weeks, she developed 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 appeared 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 in preparation for his Bar Mitzvah, visited to receive her blessing. Two days later, bleeding recurred. Medical staff stopped it and transferred her to intensive care, but she passed away early Wednesday morning. Some children were present at her bedside with a minyan, while others did not make it in time.
Since her passing, the family has been navigating a series of events without pause. The shiva mourning period concluded on Tuesday, and the very next day, the Bar Mitzvah of the son who had sought his mother's blessing days before her death was held. Now, the family is preparing for the wedding, with the grief still fresh. Before her hospitalization, Stern worked as a dedicated kindergarten teacher. She is survived by five married children and six still at home, the youngest being only four years old. Given the circumstances, particularly the upcoming wedding expenses, an effort has begun to support the family. Donations can be made via the provided link to assist the Stern family and help welcome the orphaned bride to the chuppah.