In an amusing incident that occurred while President Reuven Rivlin was visiting the United States, President Joe Biden kneeled down in tribute when he heard that Rivlin’s chief of staff, Rivka Ravitz, is the mother of 12 children. The story made the front page of Yediot Achranot on Friday.

When Rivlin introduced Ravitz to Biden during his recent visit, he said: “She’s a very religious woman, she has 12 children.”

Biden’s reaction shocked everyone in the room – he bent down on his knee and told Ravitz: “I have a picture of my mother here, you have to see who she was!”

Ravitz has been working for Rivlin for almost 23 years, accompanying him during his career as a Likud MK and party chairman, communications minister, Knesset speaker, and finally as his chief of staff during his term as president for the past seven years. She accompanied Rivlin on all his trips overseas, has met three presidents, the pope and many other important figures and makes a Kiddush Hashem by refraining from shaking the hands of any of them.

She is married to Yitzchak Ravitz, currently the mayor of Telzstone, and the son of the late Avraham Ravitz, z’l, who served as an MK for Degel HaTorah. In fact, Avraham Ravitz was the one who recommended his daughter-in-law as an employee when Rivlin was seeking someone 23 years ago.

(YWN Israel Desk – Jerusalem)