fbpx

Jewish Woman Gives Birth to Sextuplets in France

Sextuplets occur once in 4.7 million deliveries worldwide.
[additional-authors]
May 18, 2020

A Jewish woman in Strasbourg, France, gave birth to sextuplets.

The five girls and one boy were born very prematurely on Thursday at the Hautepierre Hospital in Strasbourg, requiring the assistance of 30 medical staff members, the daily LeParisien reported, citing the newspaper Les Actualités Nouvelles d’Alsace.

It took four minutes to deliver the babies, who were born at 24 weeks, after which they were taken to the neonatal intensive care unit. They weighed in at between 1.4 pounds and 1.6 pounds and likely will require a stay of many months in the hospital.

The couple have two other children. The Hebrew-language news website B’haredey Haredim identified the father as Rabbi Ovadia Ben-Simon.

The last sextuplets in France were born nearly 30 years ago, in 1989 in Normandy. Sextuplets occur once in 4.7 million deliveries worldwide.

Did you enjoy this article?
You'll love our roundtable.

Editor's Picks

Latest Articles

Bringing Israeli Doctors Back

ScienceAbroad works with two groups in medicine: physicians who leave Israel for fellowships and Israeli students who attend medical school in Europe.

The Antizionist’s Dilemma

It’s not easy being an antizionist these days. Especially if you’re determined to live in accordance with your most important moral imperative: the denigration of the world’s only Jewish state.

How the Supreme Court Adapted Parshat Shoftim

The Torah offers a better model than avenging and avoiding. It offers a safe opportunity for parties to meet and peacefully explain their perspectives, which might have been misunderstood. They can offer apologies and, where necessary, make amends for harms caused.

Can One Be a Non-Observant Orthodox Jew?

The tradition has always been bigger than any one person’s grip on it. What draws me is simple: I think these texts are a good part of why we are still here as a people. I want to know them and, in my own way, embrace them. Orthodox is where I turn.

Lies, Damned Lies and the Right Side of History

One question alone matters these days: Does this fact strengthen my tribe, or is it bad for it? If bad, it must be suppressed, denied, explained away. The higher truth is the narrative that serves the cause, the quest of the righteous and true.

Life Lessons in Old Age

Hardship and joy are present at every step. There is no time when it will be all good, so focus on the good and carry on. There are always moments to savor and appreciate.

Is Mamdani Helping Bibi?

By explicitly linking Mamdani’s efforts to rising levels of antisemitism, Netanyahu was able to frame himself as a defender of Israel against growing international hostility.

More news and opinions than at a Shabbat dinner, right in your inbox.