A night of brutal violence has rocked the ultra-Orthodox community in Bnei Brak, leaving two individuals hospitalized. The incident, described by witnesses as a "night of blood and violence," unfolded late Tuesday near the Vizhnitz Merkaz Hasidic center, where rioters allegedly attacked wedding guests, including former members of the group.
The fighting erupted outside the Heichalei Malchut event halls, adjacent to the Hasidic center, during the wedding of the son of Rabbi Ephraim Eskel, a defector from the Vizhnitz Merkaz Hasidut. The groom, who had completed studying the entire Talmud in his youth, was meant to celebrate in an atmosphere of joy, but the event quickly descended into chaos.
According to eyewitness accounts, a group of rioters affiliated with Vizhnitz Merkaz had earlier tried to sabotage the wedding by posting false notices claiming it had been relocated. When those efforts failed, they gathered near the venue and targeted arriving guests, particularly those who had left the Hasidut over the years.
"They brutally beat elderly Jews, violated their dignity, tore their clothing, and ruined their shtreimels," one witness recounted. "The ordeal lasted a full hour. It felt like total terror."
Two victims required hospitalization, including the son of Rabbi Aharon Tosig, a prominent Hasidic spiritual leader. Rabbi Tosig has remained by his son's bedside since the attack, praying for a full recovery.
