Child's Plea for Bread Highlights Severe Poverty in Jerusalem Family
Translated & summarized from Behadrei Haredim by baba
An eight-year-old boy's request for bread on loan from neighbors in Jerusalem highlights the severe poverty of his family, whose father was disabled in an accident a year ago. The family faces eviction and utility cutoffs due to mounting debts. The article calls for donations, promising prayers at Rachel's Tomb by prominent rabbis for contributors.
The story in 5 lines · by baba
- An eight-year-old boy asked neighbors for bread on loan due to his family's severe poverty.
- The family's father, R' Yosef, lost a leg in an accident a year ago, rendering him unable to work.
- The Jerusalem family faces eviction and utility disconnections due to unpaid rent and debts.
- The family's fifteen-year-old daughter is reportedly working odd jobs to help support them.
- Donors are promised prayers at Rachel's Tomb by prominent rabbis for their contributions.
A poignant request from an eight-year-old boy in Jerusalem, asking neighbors for "half a bag of bread on loan" to feed himself and his younger siblings, has brought the dire economic struggles of his family into sharp focus. The family's hardship began a year ago when the father, R' Yosef, a father of seven, lost a leg in a severe accident.
Following extensive hospitalization and rehabilitation, R' Yosef returned home incapacitated, suffering from intense pain and unable to work. This has led to a rapid financial collapse, with the family facing eviction from their home due to unpaid rent. They are also struggling with repeated disconnections of electricity and water due to significant debts.
The family's fifteen-year-old daughter is reportedly trying to support them by taking on odd jobs and caring for her siblings, causing her to miss school and suffer from deep worry. The article emphasizes that this family's plight is not isolated, suggesting thousands of similar cases of widows, orphans, and broken families in Israel are in desperate need.
The piece concludes with a call for donations, promising that contributors' names will be prayed for at Rachel's Tomb by prominent rabbis, including Rabbi Binyamin Finkel, Rabbi Naftali Nussbaum, and Rabbi Moshe Tzadka, who will pray for the donors' well-being and salvation.