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This is not just another campaign. This is an inspiring story of heroism and faith, of trials and tribulations, of spiritual yearning and a journey that will warm your heart and inflame your soul.
It’s a story of a ger tzedek, a chosson, a young man alone in the world who is turning to Klal Yisrael with a heartfelt plea.
Because Klal Yisrael is the only family he has.
This letter was written by his own hand, with copious tears…
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Acheinu Bnei Yisrael! Rachmanim Bnei Rachmanim!
My name is Eliyahu Pilshtinsky, and I’m a ger tzedek who lives in Yerushalayim.
I’m turning to Klal Yisrael as a whole, and each person individually, because you are my only family.
Please let me share with you a little about the story of my life…
I was born in Ukraine, and when I was a young child, moved with my family to Israel. I attended public school, where Torah, mitzvos and Yiddishkeit remained as remote from my world as they had been during the years spent under the Iron Curtain. Throughout adolescence and early adulthood, I felt a strange void, a vacancy in my soul, and I knew that there had to be more meaning to life. I began to search, and being in Israel, discovered truth right around the corner. It was clear that Torah Judaism was truth, the continuation of Torah from Sinai. I took to Torah like a fish to water and began undertaking more and more mitzvos, until I discovered the truth.
Judaism wasn’t mine. Torah wasn’t mine.
I wasn’t even a Jew. My grandmother wasn’t Jewish, and by extension, neither was I.
Initially, I was shattered, devastated. How had I come so far just to reveal that I’d been living a lie?! After recovering from the shock, I realized that I could still make Torah and Yiddishkeit mine. I could still be a child of the Ribono shel Olam. I’d discovered truth, and nothing would keep me from away from it.
I learned for several years before converting in a chashuve Beis Din in Yerushalayim where I, baruch Hashem, accepted the yoke of Torah and mitzvos. Since then, I spend my days and nights in the Beis Medrash, making up for lost years and loving every second of limud Torah.
Sadly, my parents view my pursuit of Torah as an utter waste of time and refuse to support me. In order to cover my basic living expenses, I clean shuls late at night. It’s hard work, and the income is minimal, but it’s worth every moment of limud Torah.
Baruch Hashem, I am now engaged to a wonderful young woman—a baalas teshuvah and baalas chessed. Together, we daven to build a beautiful home and raise a proud Jewish family.
Yet I am all alone. I have no family. I live alone and have no savings. I cannot even afford to cover minimal wedding expenses, and because of this, we can’t set a date for the wedding!
I’m reaching out to you with a heartfelt cry to please have pity on me! Help me! Lead me to my chuppah! My kallah and I have both been through so much in the past years, and we have no support. Help us start out married life on the right foot!
Im yirtzeh Hashem, I’ll daven for you on my wedding day!
Surely in merit of your generosity, Hashem will shower you with brachah and hatzlachah, health and parnassah, nachas and simchah always!
Tizku l’mitzvos!
With a heartfelt cry for help,
Eliyahu Pilshtinsky
32 Batei Nathan
Yerushalaim
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