Miriam Bentolila, 52, OBM

By COLlive reporter

Mrs. Miriam Bentolila, Chabad Shlucha in the Congo who grew up on Shlichus and dedicated her life to helping other Jews, passed away on Thursday night, eve of 20 Nissan 5781.

She was 52 and suffered from an illness in the last 2 years.

She was raised on Shlichus as the daughter of Rachel and Rabbi Yeshua Hadad OBM who served as a Shliach and Rabbi of the Synagogue of Via Guastalla at the Great Synagogue of Milan, Italy and led a Talmud Torah network operating out of 5 locations with 193 children.

In 1991, as part of his efforts, the Rebbe sent Miriam and her husband Rabbi Shlomo Bentolila and their family to Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of Congo (formerly Zaire) to establish a Chabad-Lubavitch of Central Africa.

In the years since, Chabad has transformed the landscape of Judaism in Africa with the goal of reaching out to every Jew and support the many Jewish communities in all aspects of Jewish life.

Under the leadership of Rabbi Bentolila and his wife, Chabad 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, Chabad 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, their children Mrs. Debbie Bensaid – Abidjan, Ivory Coast; Rabbi Binyomin Avraham Bentolila – Paris, France; Mrs. Chaya Mushka Nimni – Milan, Italy; Sashe Bentolila – Kinshasa, Congo; grandchildren.

She is also survived by her mother Rebbetzin Rachel Hadad (nee Maman); 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 Israel.

Baruch Dayan Haemes.