Tel Aviv Family Court ruled this afternoon (Monday) that Esti Weinstein, a mother of 7 who left the Gerrer Hassidic community and religious observance several years ago, will be given a secular Jewish burial as per her request in her will. 

Weinstein took her own life in her car in Ashdod, after years of estrangement from her family.

Her daughter Tammy Montag, the only one of her children who left the Gerrer community with her, addressed the public after the Court ruling, “To anyone who decides to come to the funeral, I’d be happy if you could bring a flower, or flowers, we can’t have too many. We’re all one big family, there’s no more family, you are the family, in case you haven’t noticed.

“I’m happy for my mother. It’ll happen the way she wanted. I’m happy I fought for this,” the daughter added.

The funeral is scheduled for tomorrow at the Yarkon cemetery at 5:00 p.m. 

Weinstein had been living with a partner in the city of Azur for the past several years, and 6 of her daughters had broken off all contact with her because she’d left religious observance. 

Her will mentioned aspects of her difficult experience living in the Gerrer community, and the suffering the continued estrangement from her children caused her.

“I understand that I’ve become sick and dependent, and I don’t want to continue being a burden for you,” she wrote in the will she left. “Don’t spend too much on the ceremony, just something modest with a lot of flowers, and remember that this is what I picked as what’s best for me. Even if you say that I’m selfish, I sympathize with your lack of understanding.”