After being rejected at a Bar Mitzvah, a twelve-year-old boy in Kfar Chabad left the hall crying and collapsed with a heart issue. Accounts vary about the exact happenings, though everyone is asking to increase in davening, Tehillim, and Ahavas Yisroel for his immediate recovery.
By Anash.org reporter
During a bar mitzvah for a friend, a twelve-year-old boy in Kfar Chabad collapsed and is in critical condition.
As it turns some incident happened inside, after which, the crying boy left the hall. His friends tried to coax him inside to continue the celebration, in vain. A while later he was found outside, collapsed. Medical professionals were called to the site where they brought him to the hospital in serious condition and explained that he had suffered from an arrhythmia- an irregular heartbeat. He is currently sedated and on a ventilator, in a life-threatening state.
The boy’s father, Yisroel Bolton, posted this notice online:
“Many people are asking what happened to my son Mendy. From what I know so far, he was at a classmate’s Bar Mitzvah. Some kids decided to ostracize him and not dance with him. He was hurt and went outside.
“He sat on a bench, crying, and didn’t listen to anyone who tried to convince him to come back inside. He got up, walked across the grass toward the parking lot, and collapsed. It turns out he had a heart rhythm disorder.
“It took a little while before he was discovered and treated. They performed prolonged resuscitation, and only when he was already in the ambulance did they manage to restore his pulse.
“He arrived at the ICU at Tel HaShomer’s Sheba Medical Center with a heart rhythm disorder that they managed to overcome, but another one followed. The morning after his hospitalization, they noticed his pupils were dilating, and they took him for a CT scan, where they found brain swelling.
“At the moment, he is in life-threatening condition. He is currently sedated and on a ventilator, receiving medications to stabilize his condition. The staff here is truly taking care of him around the clock. People are asking what they can do. If you want, you can coordinate a visit, but mainly what we need now is a miracle.
“Yesterday, we added the name ‘Chaim’ to him. Please daven for the recovery of Menachem Mendel Chaim ben Devorah Zehava.”
The community was naturally shocked and heartbroken by the allegations, and the cheder investigated the events with his classmates. After speaking to the boys who were present, the cheder released their findings in a letter to the parents:
“Dear Parents,
“This past Wednesday, during a Bar Mitzvah celebration for a student from the Talmud Torah, one of the students in the class experienced a severe cardiac event and has since been hospitalized in very serious condition.
“First and foremost, all of the students and the educational staff are standing together with the family during these difficult moments, and are davening every day in all the classrooms for his immediate refuah shleima. All our hearts are in pain due to the situation, and we ask all the students and their families to increase in tefilla and tzedaka for of our dear student, Chaim Menachem Mendel ben Devorah Zehava.
“Secondly, this letter is being written following consultations with professionals who explained the serious harm that could result from the spread of false reports and rumors, which are unfortunately severely affecting the students in the class, who are entirely innocent, and could cause unimaginable and irreversible damage.
“After discussions with the students in the class and others who were present at the event, we wish to share the following with you:
“At no point during the event was there anything that could be described as a class-wide exclusion or cherem, chas vesholom, nor was there any violence, or anything of the sort.
“Mendy was one of two students selected to present the gift to the Bar Mitzvah boy, but sadly, he was unable to do so due to what happened.
“At the beginning of the event, as reported by the students, someone (unrelated to the class) spoke harshly to Mendy, which led him to leave the hall in tears.
“Students from the class and family members of the Bar Mitzvah boy went outside to try to calm him down and convince him to return to the hall, but he refused.
“All of the students in the class are very shaken by what happened to Mendy, and on Thursday, the students recited the entire tehillim and wrote a pan to the Rebbe.
“We are in the month of Elul when the King is in the field, and we ask everyone to do their utmost to increase in the recitation of Tehillim—especially kapitelach chof and yud gimmel, as instructed by the Rov, Rabbi Ashkenazi—to increase in tzadaka, ahavas Yisroel, and good deeds for his swift recovery. May it be the will of Hashem that He hears our tefilos and cries, and that we soon hear good news.
“With blessings for the geulah amitis vehashleima,
“Rabbi Yisrael Malov, Rabbi Zalman Ruderman, Rabbi Ze’ev Roitman, and Rabbi Yosef Farkash.”
The following is the letter by the Rov of Kfar Chabad, Rabbi Meir Ashkenazi:
“To the directors of the educational institutions in Kfar Chabad,
“Due to the serious medical condition of one of our students, a boy of around 12 years old: Menachem Mendel Chaim ben Devorah Zehava, I hereby request:
“(1) Recite Tehillim with the students every day kapitelach chof and yud gimmel, for his recovery.
“(2) Speak with the students about strengthening their love for fellow Jews, sensitivity towards others, and making positive resolutions in this regard. May Hashem, who does not reject the tefillos of the many, heal him among Am Yisroel.”
Please take a moment to recite kapitlach chof and yud gimmel for Menachem Mendel Chaim ben Devorah Zehava.
When someone adds a name, the new added name goes first. So his name his chaim menachem mendel
As can be seen in rabbi Ashkenazis letter
Ad Mosai?
Ad mosai!!!!
This should be a wake up call to ALL of the hanholos of the schools about being bullied.
For this young boy, it’s too late already.
There is way to much going on in the CH yeshivos & girls schools with pear pressure & bullying.
Your Clickbait article title states that he was bullied. However, when reading the rest of the article we find out that he was not bullied. This is really horrible. You guys could do better.
A) You don’t know for sure if he was or was not bullied, and B) This is NOT a clickbait CH”V!
This is an article about a tragedy, that although perhaps was NOT preventable, nevertheless should highlight what the Baal Shem Tov stressed most: Ahavas Yisroel!
Two points that can both be true:
1) Hanhalos can investigate all they want, but if children feel uncomfortable, they will absolutely deny that they bullied someone (I was bullied as a child)
2) Misinformation blaming children will absolutely wreck havoc on their psyche – especially when R”L there’s such a tragic occurrence as this.
I don’t know what the appropriate response is, other than an increase in stressing the importance of Ahavas Yisroel, all while not blaming any individuals – if someone bullied him, they undoubtedly are in emotional pain at this time.
May Hashem remove all suffering, and reveal the Geulah Sheleima Amitis NOW!
It isn’t true and what’s your point?
According to both versions of the story, he was bullied, which is why he left the hall crying. The question was whether it was his classmates or an adult.
The lesson is clear regardless to be sensitive and not ch”v insult a child (or anyone).
you clearly have not learned your lesson
ולפלא ורעש גדול. אחר האירוע הזאת באים וצועקים ״אלול״ ״מלך בשדה״ ״אהבת ישראל״ וכו.
אני לחלוטין בהלם שזה יכול לקרות שבוע קודם ר״ה וכו וכו.
רפואה שלימה כתוח״ט
The boy was in fact bullied by the bar mitzvah.
The perception was that it was done by one of his classmates which turned to be false. It was a boy at the bar mitzvah but not his classmate.
He was or wasn’t bullied. By classmates or someone else. Indeed vey sad and unfortunate. But the tragedy was because of something else altogether. In fact, the incident alerted them to something that the parents didn’t know, that he had heart rhythm disorder. So, why is the bullying part of the story.
If has nothing what to do with what the parents knew or didnt know about his heart. It’s like saying the Roman’s destroyed our Beis Hamikdash because we were few amongst the many. Where as in yiddishkeit it was due to the lack of sinas chinam that caused the destruction. Same here: you dont need a sword to kill someone. Lack of sinas chinam can take away a life. Be careful!
He was bullied. Someone hurt him badly. His “friends” did not stand up for him (lo sa’amod al dam reiyecha). He had a weak heart. The bullying (pain, humiliation, suffering) triggered his death. That is shfichas domim. Do not try to white wash it or sweep it under the carpet.
and completely unacceptable that they bullied him to death!!! what’s that saying in Torah about how shame kills people or shaming someone is equivalent to killling them or causing them death or something? this is the perfect example of that
This was clearly min Hashamayim. However Let us at least take this as a lesson for all in the chinuch field to see the value in every child. If a child really feels valued by the educators then they don’t bully others and they don’t get bullied.