Security scare shuts down Bnei Brak wedding halls, families in chaos

The police's decision to close the two largest banquet halls in Bnei Brak, "Dekel" and "Heichalei Malchut" – after undocumented migrants were found in them – has caused a great storm in the Haredi sector.

These are some of the busiest venues in the city, and many weddings have already been scheduled for the coming weeks. Now, families of brides and grooms find themselves helpless, frantically trying to find an alternative venue – an almost impossible task at the height of the wedding season.

In a letter sent by the Tel Aviv District Commander to the attorneys of one of the families, it was stated that the decision to close was made following serious findings discovered at the site. As part of an enforcement activity conducted on February 24, significant security deficiencies were found in the halls, violations of the police's conditions for a business permit, as well as seven illegal aliens who, according to the investigation materials, worked and slept in the hall "under aggravated circumstances."

Moreover, the district commander claims that there is even evidence of a suspected serious security incident that took place there, but at this stage it is not possible to elaborate on it. In light of the findings, the district commander ordered the closure of the halls for 30 days.

The significance of the decision is far-reaching: families who were expecting to celebrate are now forced to look for an alternative hall – but with such a tight schedule, the chances of doing so are very low. "It's two days before the wedding and we're busy looking for another hall," said Shmuel Friedman, the brother-in-law of a groom who was supposed to get married in one of the halls, in an interview with Kol Barama Radio. "The bride and groom got into a situation that had nothing to do with them. We sent orders a month ago, we have no way to update them on the change."

Other families also talk about the difficult feelings. "We don't know what to do anymore," said the mother of the bride. "We went to every possible hall and there is no vacancy. This is the peak of the wedding season, and it means that in some cases we will simply have to postpone the wedding, with all that this entails."

While there are those who express support for the police's enforcement activity against the employment of undocumented persons, many are outraged by the harm done to the families of the celebrants. "I'm glad that the police are fighting certain phenomena, but why close the hall and hurt dozens of families?" says a source in the ultra-Orthodox events industry. "If there were problems, they could have imposed a heavy fine or obliged the hall owners to make immediate repairs – but to close halls like that at the height of the season?"

Bihadrei Haredim contributed to this article.