Israeli Court Frees Elderly Woman From Million Shekel Debt

Jerusalem's Magistrate Court has approved an unusual financial rehabilitation program for a 65-year-old widow and mother of four, releasing her from a debt exceeding one million shekels. The court ruled that she only needs to repay 21,600 shekels, after which she will be discharged from the remaining obligations. The case, reported by the legal website Psakdin on September 14, highlights the woman's lifelong struggles.

She grew up in difficult circumstances, with a mother suffering from mental illness and siblings with Down syndrome. Her marriage to a man with a drug addiction further complicated her life, and one of her children was diagnosed with cancer. The majority of her debts, accumulated over 40 years, were incurred during her marriage, not for luxuries but for basic family needs.

During the court hearing, the woman tearfully pleaded for relief, stating, "What is my sin? That I wanted to raise four children? Give me some air to live. I want to wake up in the morning a free person. I have nothing to pay this money from." She works as a cleaner starting at 5 a.m. daily and cannot afford small gifts for her grandchildren, citing depression, high cholesterol, and high blood pressure.

Her difficult circumstances were corroborated by relatives and her employer, who testified that she spent money only on essentials like baby formula and food. The State Bankruptcy Authority initially proposed a harsher repayment plan of 30,600 shekels over three years. However, Judge David Shaul Gabay-Richter reduced the repayment amount to 21,600 shekels, payable in 36 monthly installments of 600 shekels. He also allowed her to keep her pension and severance pay.

In his ruling, the judge acknowledged her lifelong struggle to raise her children and noted that many debts originated in the mid-1980s. He stated, "Sometimes even if paper can withstand a certain decision, the human heart cannot bear it." The approved rehabilitation program aims to allow her to live her remaining years with dignity.