Jerusalem – Rav Avraham Yosef, Chief Rabbi of Cholon has called for the ouster of a rosh yeshiva who embarrassed a Sefardi chosson at his wedding by leaving with his talmidim immediately after the chupah, after the chosson refused to follow the Rosh Yeshiva’s Ashkenazi minhagim.

According to Israeli Hebrew news site Kikar, Rav Refoel Cohen of Tzefas, a relative of the chosson’s explained the events that transpired.

“The chupah was conducted by the Rosh Yeshiva with the assistance of the chosson’s father who is a Rov in one of the northern communities. The Rosh Yeshiva then instructed the chosson and kallah to go to the yichud room, a minhag that is not followed by Sefardim according to Harav Ovadia Yosef. When it became clear to the Rosh Yeshiva that both sets of parents agreed that there would be no yichud, the Rosh Yeshiva left the wedding, instructing all of his talmidim to leave as well.”

Rav Avraham Yosef explained that the problem of Ashkenazic Roshei Yeshiva insisting that Sefardi bochurim abandon their minhagim and follow the minhagim of the yeshiva is a common one.

“The chosson cried, begging the Rosh Yeshiva to stay, but to no avail. This Rosh Yeshiva caused pain and grief to a chosson on his wedding day and does not deserve to be a Rosh Yeshiva. It is forbidden to learn in his yeshiva.

R’ Cohen gathered a group of Sefardi boys from a local yeshiva to be mesameach the chosson and R’ Yitzchak Yosef, son of R’ Ovadia Yosef, came to the wedding immediately to share in the festivities as well.