What began as an ugly incident of a public shaming video posted on social media turned in less than 24 hours into an extraordinary display of achdus and chessed by Am Yisrael, with a fundraising campaign that covered the chasunah costs for two needy families.
The video, which showed a Channel 12 journalist and her husband slamming the door on two young bochurim while laughing at them for asking for tzedaka for hachnasas kallah and making comments about the army, sparked deep public outrage across all sectors.
It was later revealed that one of the bochurim is the chassan himself, who was forced to collect tzedaka for his own chasunah due to the difficult financial situation of both sides. The younger bochur is the kallah’s brother.
“This was crossing a red line,” Mishpacha editor Aryeh Erlich said on Kol B’Rama Radio on Thursday morning. “To take two bochurim, one of whom is only 13, and use them as presenters for all the poison against the Chareidi public.”
Erlich took action and contacted the kallah’s father, verifying the cause. The response of the Israeli public was amazing. Tens of thousands of Jews, Chareidi and secular alike, joined in giving tzedaka and expressed disgust at the behavior seen in the video. Late at night, the chasan’s father called Erlich in tears and told him that “the chasunah has already been covered.”
“I decided that if they knocked on the door and thought they would get ten shekels, they should come out of this story with at least one hundred thousand shekels for hachnasas kallah,” Erlich said.
In addition to funds, a photographer called the chasan’s father and offered his services for free for the entire chasunah, and makeup artists and wedding dress designers also offered their services on a volunteer basis. Mi K’Amcha Yisrael!!
The chassan’s father also spoke with Kol B’Ramah, saying, “I thank Hashem that I belong to this nation.”
“We had no way to even begin preparing for the chasunah,” he said. “Then suddenly—nissim. Thousands donated in a single day. It came through a painful experience, through embarrassment, but this is how Hashem led us.”
“We received dozens of calls, from all parts of the spectrum, including secular people and even those from the political left,” he said. “I’m grateful to belong to this nation, to feel the warmth and embrace.”
He added: “A photographer called me today and offered to photograph the entire chasuna for free…”
The video below shows Erlich and media personality Yair Levy meeting with the bochurim:
(YWN Israel Desk—Jerusalem)
