"The Father Wounded by a Rocket Feared Only One Thing, Then We Surprised Him"

At the Weinstein family's bar mitzvah celebration in Ashkelon, not an eye was dry. Just over a month and a half ago, it was hard to believe that the family would be able to celebrate such a joyful event since their home was destroyed to the ground after being directly hit by a rocket. The family survived by a miracle, but the father, Edward, was seriously injured and hospitalized at Soroka Hospital. But there, in the hospital, the amazing change and the most moving event of his life occurred.

"We Told Him: We Will Take Care of Everything"

Rabbi Menachem Kutner from 'Young Chabad for Terror Victims' was touring various hospitals at the time, as part of his support for bereaved families and victims. "I also arrived at Soroka Hospital and visited the patients," he says in a conversation with 'Hidabroot'. "My goal was to cheer them up, give them gifts, and offer a big hug, and then, when I entered one of the rooms, I met Edward Weinstein. He was lying in bed, and I saw that he was in great pain, and his condition was not easy at all. His mother sat beside him, and she also looked very depressed. I tried to start a conversation, and then Edward told me: 'Listen, all the injury and pain are one thing, and I believe they will pass, but what bothers me the most now is that my son, Shaked, is about to celebrate his bar mitzvah in a month and a half, and I have no idea how we will celebrate the event. Our house suffered a direct hit and became dust and ashes, nothing is left. I am lying injured and can't organize anything, what will I do?'"

Kutner says that even before he could think about how to practically assist, the first thing he did was assure Edward: "We came here exactly for you, by divine providence. Our job is to make sure you are healthy, and you do everything you can to strengthen yourself and come back. We will take care of everything needed for your son's bar mitzvah – tefillin, catering, hall – we will take it all upon ourselves. You just need to get stronger." He also promised the injured father that he would make sure to hold the event at the Western Wall, where he would also call him up to the Torah together with his son and bless the prayer of thanks for being saved from the destroyed house.

How did Edward react?

"I saw that he was very moved, his mother was also very excited. They could barely speak, but they had tears in their eyes. In the next stage, we exchanged phone numbers, and from then until today, I have been accompanying the family."

A Special and Moving Event

Last week, Shaked, Edward's son, celebrated his bar mitzvah with great excitement. Rabbi Kutner notes that contrary to plans, they did not hold the event at the Western Wall with the blessing of thanks, as the father had not yet fully recovered. "When I visited Edward for the first time, I was told that he was suffering from severe third-degree burns, but he has experienced great miracles, and now the burns are considered first-degree only. Still, it is better for him not to be exposed to the sun, so we chose at this stage to avoid going to the Wall. On the other hand, it was clear to us that we would not delay the bar mitzvah even by a day, so we celebrated precisely on the date at the hall of the synagogue near the temporary house where the family currently lives, in Ashkelon."

Rabbi Kutner passionately points out that the event was moving and unique. "All the child's friends from the class, as well as the family members, grandparents, and uncles, participated. A festive and happy prayer was also held in the place. Because it is the Three Weeks, we couldn't bring music, but we celebrated according to the conditions."

For Kutner, this is not the end. "We continue to support the family until Edward fully recovers. We hope that already during the upcoming month, we will be privileged to accompany him to the Western Wall and there complete the blessing of thanks, with immense gratitude for the miracles."