By COLlive reporter
Mrs. Shterna Wolff, who assumed leadership of Chabad of Hanover in Germany after the passing of her husband Rabbi Benny Wolff OBM, shared a photo of 2 blue bottles of Bartenura Pinot Grigio.
She wrote on social media that on the 7th day of Pesach of this past year, she and her children put away these 2 bottles of the Italian-made dry white wine. It wasn’t because they thought it would age well.
It has been just a few days after her husband was hospitalized. “We put two wine bottles in the closet to open you at the feast that would celebrate his return,” she said about their strong faith that Rabbi Wolff would recover.
Sadly, that didn’t happen.
Rabbi Wolff, a beloved Shliach who established a vibrant Jewish community in Hanover, passed away at the young age of 43. He left behind his wife and 8 young children ages 3 to 19 years old and a grieving community.
“When we heard the terrible news, the children were so hurt and disappointed,” Mrs. Wolff recalls. “They wanted to smash the bottles.”
After a conversation and her brave decision to remain in Germany and continue their Shlichus, Mrs. Wolff says: “We decided to save the bottles for a happy occasion.”
They opened the first bottle at the L’chaim engagement party for her daughter Mussi Wolff to Levi Gotlieb of Nikolayev, Ukraine. They kept the rest of the bottle to pour a glass under their chuppah at their wedding this week.
“We will ceremoniously open the second bottle this year for Arik’s Bar-Mitzvah,” she promised, showing a photo of her son holding the closed bottle.
May they open the bottles by the GEUALA NOW!!when they are reunited with their Father