My Cousin Rabbi Binyamin Wolff, suddenly passed away two years ago from a blood infection. His wife Shternie Wolff, 44 years old, was just chosen as "Woman of the Year" in Saxony, Germany's fourth largest state, by that state's largest newspaper.
Shternie was born in Israel and is a Chabad emissary in Hanover. She continues the work with seven children at home, in addition to another daughter and her husband who recently moved in as well. She runs a Chabad house that hums with constant activity and she has become a significant local figure among Jews and non-Jews alike.
She has been sharing a message "The building of the Mishkan, the spiritual center of the nation during its sojourn in the desert, is described in this weeks Torah portion. The Torah praises the efforts of the children of Israel in their construction of the Mishkan, with emphasis on the part played by the women through their alacrity and diligence.
The women in the desert were highly gifted seamstresses, and demonstrated their talent and creativity in the sewing and embroidering of the Mishkan tapestries.
Our talents were given to us not only for personal development, but also to be utilized for the benefit of others, to increase light and holiness, to make the entire world into a Mishkan - a home - for Gd.
Shternie share that this message is for everyone, but especially for women, and particularly for this generation of women.
This is my mission in Germany and I am happy to accept this honor.
However, to utilize our special abilities in order to transform the world into a place of goodness and kindness is the mission of every one of us."
May we all take this message to heart and use our talents for good.
Have a good Shabbos.
Adapted by Rabbi Kushi Schusterman
from an article by Sivan Rahav-Meir which was translated by Yehoshua Siskin.