Nechama Rivlin

Rivlin was born on a moshav in Herut, Israel. Her parents, Mendi and Drora Kayla Shulman, who immigrated from Ukraine, helped establish the community. Her mother, who had immigrated from Ukraine, was widowed when her husband died at the age of 45 from an illness. Rivlin was five at the time.[http://www.haaretz.com/opinion/.premium-1.706765 My Mother, a Pioneer Who Helped Turn the Zionist Dream Into Reality] Haaretz, 3 March 2016 Her mother then worked the farm, "with its orchard, cattle and chickens." "I remember her working hard and fighting like a lioness for the right to work the land, despite the objective difficulties entailed in choosing such a demanding way of life. She never sank into debt – no small feat in a cooperative farming settlement," Rivlin later wrote.Haaretz, "Nechama Rivlin, Wife of Israeli President, Dies at 73" June 4, 2019 [https://www.haaretz.com/israel-news/.premium-nehama-rivlin-wife-of-israeli-president-dies-at-73-1.7330615]

Rivlin attended local schools and graduated from the Ruppin Regional High School. In 1964 she enrolled at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem where she earned a BSc in Botany and Zoology, along with a Teaching Diploma.[http://www.president.gov.il/English/ThePresident/Pages/TheFirstLady_CV.aspx The First Lady] President of the State of Israel, accessed 7 March 2016

Rivlin became a researcher at Hebrew University in 1967. Her initial role was in the Department of Zoology and she later worked in the genetics division in the Department of Ecology. She later worked as a scientific secretary at the university's Institute of Life Sciences.{{Cite web|url=https://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-5520025,00.html|title=Nechama Rivlin, wife of Israel's president, dies at 73|date=2019-06-04|website=Ynet|language=en|access-date=2019-06-06}} Rivlin retired in 2007.{{Cite web|url=https://www.jpost.com/Israel-News/Nechama-Rivlin-scientist-art-lover-wife-of-president-passes-away-591540|title=Nechama Rivlin, scientist, art lover, wife of president, passes away - Israel News - Jerusalem Post|last=Cashman|first=Greer Fay|date=June 4, 2019|website=Jpost|access-date=2019-06-05}}

File:עמיחי חסון ורעיית נשיא המדינה נחמה ריבלין.jpg for his book «Bli Ma». ]]

In her position as the wife of the Israeli President, Rivlin concentrated on areas she was most familiar with through her academic work and family. One area of focus was nature and the environment.{{cite web|first1=Hana Levi|last1=Julian|accessdate=2019-06-05|title=Nechama Rivlin, First Lady of Israel, z'l, – Scientist, Patron of Poetry|url=https://www.jewishpress.com/news/obituaries/nechama-rivlin-first-lady-of-israel-zl/2019/06/04/}}{{Cite web|url=https://www.straitstimes.com/world/middle-east/israels-first-lady-nechama-rivlin-dies-after-recent-lung-transplant|title=Israel's first lady Nechama Rivlin dies after recent lung transplant|date=4 June 2019|website=The Straits Times}}

Rivlin was also a vocal supporter of women and children.{{cite news |last=Cashman |first=Greer Fay |date=15 November 2015 |title=Nechama Rivlin Hosts Visiting New York UJA Women Leaders |url=http://www.jpost.com/Breaking-News/Nechama-Rivlin-hosts-visiting-New-York-UJA-women-leaders-432754 |newspaper=The Jerusalem Post |access-date=3 April 2019}} Inaugurating her first major initiative as First Lady, she welcomed 200 Akim activists to the President's residence to draw attention to the needs of intellectually challenged children and to advocate for supporting them.{{cite news |last1=Cashman |first1=Greer Fay |last2=Gravé-Lazi |first2=Lidar |date=9 November 2014 |title=Nechama Rivlin: Integrate People with Disabilities into Your Workforces |url=https://www.jpost.com/Israel-News/Nechama-Rivlin-Integrate-people-with-disabilities-into-your-workforces-381241 |newspaper=The Jerusalem Post |access-date=3 April 2019}} Sharing a message of peace and tolerance, she hosted students and teachers from the Hand in Hand: Center for Jewish-Arab Education in Israel at the President's Residence following an arson attack at their school.{{cite news |last=Dvir |first=Noam |date=14 December 2014 |title=Rivlin meets with students from co-existence school set on fire in hate-crime |url=http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-4599398,00.html |work=YNet News |access-date=3 April 2010}} Rivlin said violence against children was a great problem throughout society, and that Israel should work to investigate and address child abuse. "We must break this conspiracy of silence once and for all", she said.{{cite news |last=Cashman |first=Greer Fay |date=27 May 2015 |title=Study: 53 Percent of Israeli Youngsters Suffer from Abuse, Victimization |url=https://www.jpost.com/Israel-News/53-percent-of-Israeli-youngsters-suffer-from-abuse-and-victimization-study-finds-404187 |newspaper=The Jerusalem Post |access-date=3 April 2019}} In March 2016, she hosted a group of women who had publicly shared their experiences with sexual assault and domestic abuse.{{cite news |last=Cashman |first=Greer Fay |date=8 March 2016 |title=First Lady Meets with Haredi Victims of Domestic Abuse |url=https://www.jpost.com/Israel-News/First-Lady-meets-with-victims-of-abuse-447180 |newspaper=The Jerusalem Post |access-date=3 April 2019}} Rivlin told them that by telling their stories, they would help others who face difficult issues.{{cite news |last1=Azulay |first1=Moran |last2=Lukash |first2=Alexandra |date=8 March 2016 |title=Minister Gila Gamliel: I have experienced sexual harassment |url=https://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-4775748,00.html |work=YNet News |access-date=3 April 2019}}

Rivlin joined her husband on international trips. Together, they visited U.S. President Barack Obama and First Lady Michelle Obama at the White House for the December 2015 Hanukkah celebration.{{cite news |author= |date=9 December 2015 |title=Rivlin Lights White House Menorah with 'Prayer for Liberty' |url=https://www.timesofisrael.com/watch-obama-and-rivlin-light-hanukkah-candles-at-white-house/ |newspaper=The Times of Israel |access-date=3 April 2019}}{{cite web |url=https://obamawhitehouse.archives.gov/blog/2015/12/15/hanukkah-white-house-2015-%E2%80%93-memories-menorahs-and-maccabeats |title=Hanukkah at the White House 2015 – Memories, Menorahs and the Maccabeats! |last=Nosanchuk |first=Matt |date=15 December 2015 |website=The White House |publisher=National Archives and Records Administration |access-date=3 April 2019 |quote=}} Nechama and Reuven lit a menorah made in Israel by designer Ze'ev Raban.{{cite web |url=https://obamawhitehouse.archives.gov/blog/2015/12/09/menorah-hanukkah-reception |title=We Asked, You Answered: "What's the Story Behind Your Menorah?" |last=Nosanchuk |first=Matt |date=9 December 2015 |website=The White House |publisher=National Archives and Records Administration |access-date=3 April 2019 |quote=}}

In 2018, Rivlin established the {{Interlanguage link|Dr. Gardner Simon Prize for Hebrew Poetry|qid=Q64410370}} Rivlin presented the prize to Poet Amichai Chasson for the first time.{{Cite web|url=https://www.ynet.co.il/articles/0,7340,L-5429446,00.html|title=רעיית הנשיא העניקה פרס למשורר עמיחי חסון|date=2018-12-19|website=ynet|language=he|access-date=2019-06-06}}

In 1970, Rivlin met Reuven Rivlin at a party. They married in 1971, a year after their meeting. It was his second marriage and he had a son from his first marriage. It was her first marriage. The couple had three children, Rivka, Anat, and Ran.{{cite news |last=Schneider |first=Tal |date=2 May 2014 |title=מי את, נחמה ריבלין? |trans-title=Who Are You, Nechama Rivlin? |url=http://saloona.co.il/blog/%D7%9E%D7%99-%D7%90%D7%AA-%D7%A0%D7%97%D7%9E%D7%94-%D7%A8%D7%99%D7%91%D7%9C%D7%99%D7%9F/ |language=he |magazine=Saloona |access-date=3 April 2019 }} The family resided in Yefeh Nof.{{cite web|url=http://saloona.co.il/blog/מי-את-נחמה-ריבלין/|title=Who are you, Nechama Rivlin?|last1=Schneider|first1=Tal|website=Saloona|language=he|accessdate=5 June 2019}} After her retirement in 2007, she became a film buff, watched theatre, and developed an interest in gardening and the environment. Later in life, she studied the history of art.

Rivlin suffered from pulmonary fibrosis, an interstitial lung disease.{{cite news |last=Siegel-Itzkovich |first=Judy |title=Clearing the Air| date=14 March 2015 |url=https://www.jpost.com/Israel-News/Health/Clearing-the-air-393910 |newspaper=The Jerusalem Post |access-date=3 April 2019}} She was regularly seen in public with a portable oxygen tank. On 11 March 2019, Rivlin received a lung transplant from 19 year old Yair Yehezkel Chalabli's body, who died in a freediving accident.{{Cite news |url=https://www.timesofisrael.com/nechama-rivlin-said-recovering-well-after-lung-transplant/ |date=12 March 2019 |title=Nechama Rivlin said recovering well after lung transplant |last=Winer |first=Stuart |newspaper=The Times of Israel |language=en-US |access-date=3 April 2019}} She died on 4 June, one day shy of her 74th birthday, at Beilinson Hospital in Petah Tikva of complications following the transplant.{{cite news |title=Nechama Rivlin, wife of President Reuven Rivlin, dies at 73 |url=https://www.timesofisrael.com/nechama-rivlin-wife-of-president-reuven-rivlin-dies-at-73/ |accessdate=4 June 2019 |work=Times of Israel}} She is survived by her husband and a sister, Vered.

Nechama Rivlin was laid in state at Jerusalem Theatre on Wednesday, June 5, 2019.{{cite news|title=First Lady Nechama Rivlin laid to rest with prayers and song |url=https://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-5520627,00.html |work=Ynetnews |date=2019-06-05 |accessdate=2019-06-10 |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20190609135819/https://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-5520627,00.html |archivedate=2019-06-09 |url-status=live}} Speakers at her funeral included Rabbi Binyamin Lau and author Haim Be'er, as well as her husband, President Rivlin and children. Singers Rona Kenan and Alon Eder also performed at the funeral. Rivlin was buried at the Mount Herzl national cemetery in Jerusalem later that day.

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Category:1945 births

Category:2019 deaths

Category:Spouses of presidents of Israel

Category:Israeli zoologists

Category:Hebrew University of Jerusalem alumni

Category:Academic staff of the Hebrew University of Jerusalem

Category:Israeli Jews

Category:Israeli people of Ukrainian-Jewish descent

Category:Lung transplant recipients

Category:People from Central District (Israel)

Category:20th-century Israeli women scientists

Category:20th-century Israeli scientists

Category:21st-century Israeli women scientists