Rivka Ravitz
Rivka RavitzFlash 90

Rivka Ravitz, 41, the mother of 11 children, who has served as the chief of staff at the President's Residence, has worked with President Reuven Rivlin for 20 years, including during his terms as Speaker of the Knesset and Communications Minister.

The Yediot Aharonot Hebrew daily reported Sunday that before the birth of her first grandson, Ravitz decided to take a doula course to help her eldest daughter Chaya (20), during the birth of her first grandchild.

"When my daughter told me she was going to be a mother, my first reaction was wild excitement," Ravitz said. "Then I thought, 'I won't stand by. I won't stand by while my daughter is suffering the pain of childbirth. I decided that I must help her in some way."

Last week, when she was already a qualified doula, Ravitz was summoned to the delivery room to assist in the birth of her first granddaughter. After the birth, President Rivlin called the young grandmother and congratulated her and her daughter.

"It is harder to assist [the mother] than to give birth," Ravitz said. "Now you just have to ask my daughter how I was." Her daughter Chaya, the new mother, admitted: "I do not know how I would have gone through [the process of giving birth] without my mother."