Mrs. Miriam Bentolila, Shlucha to the Congo who together with her husband built up Yiddishkeit across Africa, passed away on Thursday, 19 Nissan, 5781 after battling a lengthy illness.
By Anash.org reporter
Mrs. Miriam Bentolila, Shlucha to the Congo, passed away on Thursday, 19 Nissan, 5781.
She was 52 years old and suffered from a lengthy illness.
Miriam was born to Rabbi Yeshua and Rachel Hadad, shluchim to Milan, Italy who led a successful network of Talmud Torah schools with hundreds of children enrolled.
In 1991 the Rebbe sent her and her husband Rabbi Shlomo Bentolila and their family to Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of Congo (formally Zaire) to establish a Chabad-Lubavitch of Central Africa to reach out to every Jew and support the many Jewish communities in all aspects of Jewish life.
In the three decades since, Chabad–Lubavitch of Central Africa (CLCA) has transformed the landscape of Judaism in Africa.
Under the leadership of the Bentolilas, CLCA is now working in 13 countries in Africa: Democratic Republic of Congo, Congo Republic, Nigeria, Ghana, Angola, Namibia, Gabon, Ivory Coast, Kenya, Uganda, Ethiopia, Mali, and Senegal.
In many of these countries CLCA facilitates a variety of programs ranging from: relief and charitable assistance programs for refugees, Mikvah construction, children’s educational programs, holiday services, rabbinic visits and counseling.
She is survived by her husband Rabbi Shlomo Bentolila and their children Mrs. Debbie Bensaid – Abidjan, Ivory Coast; Rabbi Binyomin Avraham Bentolila – Paris, France; Mrs. Chaya Mushka Nimni – Milan, Italy; Sashe Bentolila – Kinshasa, Congo.
She is also survived by her mother Rebbetzin Rachel Hadad and her siblings Rabbi Menachem Hadad – Brussels, Belguim; Mrs. Chana Hadad – Milan, Italy; Mrs. Sara Hadad – Jerusalem, Israel; Rabbi Yosef Hadad – Milan, Italy; Rabbi Michael Hadad – Crown Heights; Mrs. Avigayil Dadon – Lod, Israel; Eliyahu Hadad – Milan, Italy.
The levaya will take place in Eretz Yisroel.
Baruch Dayan Haemes.
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