Two phone calls, a year apart.
The First Call: 10/24/2019 – 8:23pm.
Rochel Rothman’s phone began to vibrate as she paced the outside patio of an event hall. She was wearing a gown and had her makeup done, but her face looked tired and weak. She held the phone close to drown out the sounds of the band:
“Tatty are you sure you want to do this?”
“Yes Shaifele,” said the raspy voice on the other side of the phone. “I would not miss Machi’s wedding for the first world. I will be there.”
Rochel finished the phone call and wrung her hands nervously. Her father had just suffered a heart attack and undergone open heart surgery. It was almost inconceivable that he would come to her brother’s wedding. But she knew that above all else he loved his children, and as she sat with him at the wedding seuda that night she was more grateful than ever that he was, against all odds, alive.
Little did Rochel know, the heart attack had destroyed more than Rabbi Rothman’s health. The Rothmans had always lived simply, out of necessity. They had 13 children, and made do with only the absolute basics. As they approached Machi’s chasuna, they began to slip into debt. The Rabbi’s heart attack took away his ability to make an income. The Rebbetzin struggled to support the family on her own. Soon, the situation became dire.
Fast forward to the second phone call: This Sunday, at 7:53am.
“Please, I’m begging you, one more month. I have 5 little ones at home.”
Mrs. Rothman’s terrified voice rang through the hallways of their small Jerusalem apartment. Tensely. Rochel listened on from the kitchen, pretending to cut up a sandwich for her siblings’ school lunches.
“That’s not possible. It’s simply not possible.”
Mrs. Rothman’s sobs filled their home. She hung up and explained: They had received an eviction notice. If they do not repay their debts by this week, men will come to the home and take everything of value. The irony is that there is nothing of value – the Rothmans live in abject poverty. They have never locked their doors or feared burglary because they have nothing to be stolen. Once the men have looked for valuables, however, the real blow will come: They will be thrown out on the street.
Money is being urgently raised to help the Rothmans. A rabbi with a heart condition, his Rebbetzin, and their 5 young children will be homeless tonight if they do not find help.
Join the official YWN WhatsApp status
