When Adina first met her chassan, she was in awe: He had been through so much in his life, yet he managed to be such a kind, calm, and generous person. His mother was an amazing person, who kept a smile on her face despite being disabled. There were five siblings in the family, all very close and supportive of each other. Especially since the trauma of finding their father a”h dead in his bed on a shabbos morning. When their father Reb Yisroel Zlotnick passed away suddenly, they lost everything. Yet they still managed to keep their heads up, and inspire all those around them. This was the kind of family she wanted to be a part of.
As she speaks with other friends who are engaged, however, Adina has realized just how not ‘normal’ her situation is. As they ‘ooh’ and ‘ahh’ at each other’s rings, she finds an excuse to leave the room. She doesn’t have one. As they discuss dresses and apartments, she tries to manage her stress that there are no options she can afford. As her friends go for sheitel fittings, she browses through tichels, knowing she won’t be able to get a wig. This is the life she chose, she tells herself, and there is more to life than money. Yet as she stepped into the one-room studio she found to rent after the chasuna, she found it hard to hold back her tears. Without an oven, how would she make suppers? Without a fridge, how could they have milk for coffee? Without beds, where would they sleep? She always thought she wasn’t a superficial girl, but maybe this isn’t about superficiality. Maybe this is about survival.
Adina sat on the floor in her empty apartment, because there were no chairs, and she cried.
The kallah’s future mother-in-law has opened an emergency fund for their family, to help them get by after the loss of Rav Zotnick, and make a chasuna for Yechiel & Adina. Because some things are not about superficiality or extras, they’re about survival. And the Zlotnick family, including the young Zlotnick-to-be, need your help to survive.
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