[COMMUNICATED]
Leezi Berman isn’t a superficial girl. When she was dating, she wasn’t worried about family reputations, or money – She just knew she wanted to marry her zivug. She was looking for someone with great middos, someone kind and brave and determined. That’s when she met Yechiel Tauber.
Yechiel hasn’t had an easy life. When he was a little boy, his parents went through a painful divorce. He and his siblings watched their father drive away and never come back. The years that followed were challenging. Yechiel’s mother was usually not home: She had to work 12-hour days to pay the bills. The older siblings looked after the younger siblings, despite still being kids themselves. They were treated differently by family members and neighbors, teased by kids at school. The young boy was even told he would never get married, because no one would want to marry into a broken, poor family.
In spite of his challenges, however, Yechiel flourished and grew to be a devoted Torah scholar and lovely person. Leezi was blown away by his beaming smile and happy nature. And so the two got engaged. And for weeks, she was indescribably happy. Then, the reality began to sink in:
It started when Yechiel explained to Leezi that he would not be able to afford a diamond ring. That was fine with her, she knew to expect it. She soon realized, however, that marrying into a family with no money meant that they wouldn’t have any of the things she expected. They have no way to afford a wedding dress, dresses for siblings, a hall, invitations, sheva brachos, or an apartment. Leezi is working hard at her own job and saving up everything she can but there are times the families worry they may have to call off the wedding.
A hachnasas kallah fund has been opened to help the couple make a simple wedding and start married life. The mitzvah of escorting a kallah is a precious one in Jewish tradition, known to bear fruits both in this world, and in the next. As the days count down toward Leezy & Yechiel’s chuppah, they are praying that they will have the opportunity to do another mitzvah: Building a Jewish home.