Israel mourns the passing of the wife of President Reuven Rivlin, who passed away a few days before her 74th birthday. Rivlin suffered from pulmonary fibrosis, an interstitial lung disease, and has used an oxygen tank for many years to assist her breathing. She is survived by their three children, Rivka, Anat and Ran; and seven grandchildren.
Rivlin’s funeral was held Wednesday at Mount Herzl and was laid to rest at the Gedolei Ha’uma (Leaders of the Nation) section, where eulogies were delivered.
Flags at the President’s Residence in Jerusalem were lowered to half-mast. An outpouring of love and condolences came from politicians, citizens and organizations throughout the country and around the world.
Rivlin was born in 1945 in Moshav Herut, in the Sharon region. Her parents, Drora (Keila) and Mendy Shulman, immigrated to what was then Palestine from the Ukraine and were among the moshav's founders.
She worked as a researcher at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem in the departments of zoology, ecology and genetics before retiring in 2007.