A Fortunate Turn: Ultra-Orthodox Couple Wins Big on Chanukah

In last Thursday's national lottery draw, a single ticket holder won the grand prize in the Double Lotto with a reward of 10 million shekels. On Sunday evening, the eighth night of Chanukah, the winner and his wife arrived at the lottery headquarters to claim their prize.

The joyful winners are an Ultra-Orthodox couple from central Israel, in their early 40s. The winner shared, "The timing of our win is incredible – during the special combination of Chanukah and Rosh Chodesh Tevet, and I recently celebrated my birthday as well."

Photo: PR

He discovered their win after attending an important gathering. "At first, I checked the lottery's website and compared the winning numbers to those on my ticket. I couldn’t believe it. I double-checked, again and again, before I even thought of sharing the news. Only when I was absolutely certain did I call my wife with excitement like never before and told her we had won."

His wife recounts receiving a midday call from her husband, who told her he was coming to pick her up. "He said he had something important to tell me and that it was a secret no one else could know. I was so curious but never imagined we'd won a prize, let alone the grand prize. I got into the car and asked my husband to let me check the ticket again. We were both stunned. That night, we were too excited to sleep. We had always felt that one day we might win the lottery, but nothing prepared us for this delightful surprise and its perfect timing."

The couple shared their plans to use their winnings to upgrade their living situation to a private home in a pastoral settlement. "Of course, we’ll assist our children to ease some of their burdens. We also plan to give *ma'aser* and consult with an investment advisor on how best to prudently invest our newfound fortune," they said.