Messages between two mothers aroused significant public anger after one of them clarified to the other unless her daughter brought an expensive gift to a birthday party, the daughter would not be welcome.
“I'm organizing a birthday party according to what my daughter wants, and I'm paying high prices,” the birthday girl's mother explained condescendingly. “I think you should find it reasonable not to send your daughter because she won't bring a present. I am saying this out of the goodness of my heart, so that afterwards her friends will not talk about her as the one who never brings gifts and eats like a pig.”
The mother who received the message was horrified and replied that her daughter enjoys going to birthday parties. “Why is she guilty because I don't have any money? I am not embarrassed to say that I fight for every shekel. I can send a gift card, my daughter won't be arriving empty-handed. Perhaps you and the rest of the mothers should talk with their daughters about how every gift is a gift, and it's the thought that counts. They're in fifth grade - why would you even need to write such a thing? I'm shocked.”
The correspondence continued, with the birthday girl's mother writing: “You can be shocked. I am paying 9,500 NIS for this party, and it's reasonable that she should get expensive gifts. My daughter should not be disappointed on her birthday. That's what matters to me.” She added that a girl bringing 50 shekels as a gift would be unwelcome: “Get it through your head - the girl will not be wanted here. That's all.”
The correspondence was published by the director of the charity “Joy for Hungry Children,” Shani Sharvit, who wrote that she had been notified of the exchange when she was asked for assistance in providing food and clothing for the impoverished mother whose daughter was forbidden from attending.
“The mother was in tears. She was saddened and felt like she was about to burst,” Sharvit explained. “A daughter who has neither clothes nor shoes like everyone else, with everything being second-hand, who is still trying so hard to be accepted and a friend to everyone - every birthday party, her mother has to scrape together 50 shekels for a gift card so that her daughter will not miss out on a social life.”
“As if what the mother is going through is not enough, they now wrote to her that her daughter is unwelcome because she is not of the same status as everyone else, and does not give expensive gifts. I always think I've seen everything, but there are still things that drive me insane. Do people like this really live around us? It saddens me and makes me feel tired.”
Hundreds replied to the post with shock and disgust and promised to help the family with monetary donations and clothing. One user offered: “Have the mother talk to me privately. With God's help, when she has to make a birthday party, I will arrange for an event planner, inflatables, a craft table, candies, and anything else she wants, including gifts and clothes for her special day, all at my expense, just to show what baseless love looks like.”
Numerous users offered donations and gifts to the girl. One wrote, “I would be happy for you to bring your daughter to my beauty salon for a spa day, hairdressing, and gifts, with much love,” wrote Shai Hazut.
Fashion model Nataly Dadon commented: "I just spoke to the mother of the girl who was uninvited. I have been trying for two days to understand what happened here, and wanted so badly to find that this was fake, that there wasn't actually a mother who would write such things and uninvited a girl because she didn't bring an expensive enough gift.''
''Parents, please, don't support this, and to you, dear mother, you've earned yourself a fan. You are one in a generation. You are exceptionally wealthy, and your children are lucky to have you.''