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When Rebbetzin Yoheved Rachel Batzri passed away suddenly in 2013, Rabbi Binyamin Batzri, a leading Kabbalist and head of the Beit Yosef yeshiva in Be’er Sheva, was left alone to raise the couple’s 12 children.

But tragedy struck again later that year when Rabbi Batzri himself passed away at the age of 57, leaving 12 orphans in desperate straits.

Born in Jerusalem to Rabbi Sasson Batzri, Binyamin Batzri comes from a long line of Kabbalists, and was a direct descendant of the Ben Ish Chai. His uncle is Rabbi David Batzri, another prominent Kabbalist. A brilliant Torah scholar, he was also known as a man of warm kindness and charity.

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After he moved to the Kiryat Ha’Avot neighborhood in Be’er Sheva, Rabbi Batzri opened up the Beit Yosef yeshiva and outreach center, helping many rediscover Judaism and return to traditional observance. Every year Rabbi Batzri held Selichot prayers in the Vasermil Stadium in Be’er Sheva, drawing thousands of participants.

The Batzri family had always lived quite modestly, but the death of both of their parents within a matter of months left the 12 Batzri children dependent on charity for even the most basic needs.

While the family’s oldest son has taken it upon himself to raise and support his siblings, they continue to struggle to make ends meet.

Now, with the eldest daughter’s upcoming marriage, the Batzri orphans are unable to cover even the most basic wedding expenses. Those close to the family who know their desperate financial situation and recall Rabbi Batzri’s kindness to others have called upon the public to help the orphaned bride finance her wedding.