A Jewish family whose impressive history can be traced back more than 450 years celebrated the birth of its 50,000th member in Jerusalem on Monday at a special family event.
The Rivlin family consists of 22 documented generations and has researched its roots back to Vienna in 1550. It boasts among its ranks the Vilna Gaon (Rabbi Eliyahu of Vilna), Yosef Yoel Rivlin, the author of the first Hebrew-edition Koran, the first female mayor of Israel, several actresses, political figures and TV presenters, and former Knesset speakers Avraham Burg and Reuven Rivlin.
The newest family addition, Michael Ben-Shimhon, who was born in Jerusalem on February 16, joins some 35,000 of his ancestors residing (currently or previously) in Israel. The baby will be formally initiated into the Rivlin clan by Reuven Rivlin this afternoon at Airport City’s Kenes International. Michael and his parents will be presented with a scroll documenting his historic birth. The family will also officially activate its application to the Guinness World Records, hoping to set the record for the world’s largest tribe.
Read the full article in the March 23, 2009 edition of the Jerusalem Post.
