An online fundraiser to assist with medical expenses has been started for a local Chabad rabbi felled with a mysterious illness.
Rabbi Ben-Tzion Welton, founder and CEO of Vaad Hakashrus of Northern California, the region’s kosher certification agency also known as Sunrise Kosher, began experiencing extreme nausea over the summer, according to his son, Rabbi Levi Welton.
His digestive system stopped functioning properly and he has lost 30 pounds since October. He recently was hospitalized for a week and is dependent on intravenous nutrition, his son said.
Though Welton, 63, did not initially want to publicize his condition, so as not to burden others, according to his son, his family has now established a fundraising page on GiveForward.com.
As of Jan. 21, more than 180 donors had given more than $21,000 toward the online fundraiser, which has a stated goal of $200,000. Due to his condition, Welton is not able to work, causing financial hardship.
Of the donations that have already come in, Welton said, “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, who was born with several minor disabilities and underwent brain surgery as a teenager, spent his early career as an advocate for the disabled, his son said. In the 1970s, he worked as a community health educator in San Francisco, and his protests helped establish wheelchair access in federal buildings, his son said.
GiveForward.com donated an additional $750 to the campaign after pledging to do so if more than $20,000 had been raised by midnight Jan. 16.
Welton was scheduled for an intestinal biopsy at UCSF Medical Center this week, after which more is expected to be known. In recent weeks, he has been flooded with visitors and community support.
“My father’s been very emotional about it. He’s a very private guy,” Levi Welton said. “It’s really cheered him up. All these people are calling and paying attention.”
To make a donation, visit www.bit.ly/rabbi-welton. To read updates on Welton, visit www.caringbridge.org/visit/benzionwelton/journal.