63-year-old Rabbi Ben-Tzion Welton, the founder and CEO of Vaad Hakashrus of Northern California (a small regional kosher certification agency), reportedly began experiencing extreme nausea this summer. His digestive system eventually stopped functioning properly. Welton recently was hospitalized for a week and is now dependent on a form of intravenous nutrition. He is unable to work and has lost 30 pounts since October.
Above: Rabbi Ben-Tzion Welton and his wife Sharona
Money Needed For Ill Chabad Rabbi And Disability Activist
Shmarya Rosenberg • FailedMessiah.com
An online fundraising campaign has been launched for a Chabad rabbi and disability activist who is suffering from an as yet unknown illness that has caused him to lose 30 pounds since October and to be unable to work, J Weekly reported.
63-year-old Rabbi Ben-Tzion Welton, the founder and CEO of Vaad Hakashrus of Northern California (a small regional kosher certification agency), reportedly began experiencing extreme nausea this summer. His digestive system eventually stopped functioning properly. Welton recently was hospitalized for a week and is now dependent on a form of intravenous nutrition.
After initially resisting the idea, Welton’s family set up a fundraising page on GiveForward.com to help with medical and day-to-day expenses.
As of yesterday, over 100 donors had given a total of more than $12,500.
GiveForward.com has pledged to give an addition $750 to the Welton’s campaign if that campaign can reach or surpass $20,000 in total donations by midnight tonight.
"Every one of these acts of kindness gives me inspiration. In a world that can sometimes be dark and harsh, they have brought me light and love,” Welton reportedly said.
Welton was born with several relatively minor disabilities and underwent brain surgery as a teenager.
He was an advocate for disabled rights and worked as a community health educator in San Francisco in the 1970s before becoming a Chabad rabbi. Welton’s disability protests reportedly helped bring about wheelchair access for federal buildings, many of which lacked disability access before then.
Welton is reportedly scheduled to have an intestinal biopsy at University of California San Francisco Medical Center next week.