[COMMUNICATED] Of the many public hachnasas kallah funds, Yaeli Cohen’s has caught the attention of many this week due to its dramatic backstory. The young woman’s mother passed away from cancer, leaving behind 7 orphans and a step-father who suffers from lupus.
Since Mazal’s passing, Yael has been unable to live in her stepfather’s home due to the laws of yichud. Consequently, just days after losing her mother, the young girl and her sister had no choice but to move to foster homes. Since then she has worked independently to support herself and her family.
Many readers were moved by her bravery in choosing to tell her story. “We are still missing some of the most basic things,” she says in video footage.
Her Chesed Fund page has become the meeting place between two young people who desperately need help, and those who wish to fulfill the mitzvah of hachnasas kallah.
With donations trickling in, Yael has begun to arrange for the basic amenities of a wedding, and to arrange her modest living situation for after marriage. These gifts are truly valuable beyond money: they are the gift of dignity, for a young woman who has experienced loss.