Rivki Blau, a haredi owner of a beauty salon, has sparked widespread public debate following comments made during an interview with Israeli journalist Yair Sherki on Channel 12.
The discussion took place as part of an interview examining life in the haredi community. Blau was asked about the difference between a haredi mother’s concerns and those of a mother whose son serves as a soldier.
Blau explained that her daily concern is ensuring her children remain committed to religious observance and Torah study. In response to Sherki’s remark that a soldier’s mother fears her son may not return from military service, she questioned, “but what matters more?" When asked whether her priority was her children returning to a religious lifestyle, she answered affirmatively.
Throughout the conversation, Blau emphasized that she loves her children and would accept them regardless of their path. However, she also described the emotional distress she would feel if they chose to leave religious observance, saying, “if one of them becomes secular, every day, every moment, every hour, it would burn in my soul."
The exchange reached its most controversial point when Sherki suggested that the loss of a child would be more painful than their living a non-religious lifestyle. Blau responded, “I’m not sure."
Her remarks quickly circulated on social media, prompting strong and divided reactions from the public.
Later, Blau appeared on the Channel 12 studio broadcast, where her comments drew sharp criticism from journalist Josh Breiner, who described her statement as “outrageous" and said it was “impossible to even conduct a discussion about such a claim."