The pressure of Ashkenazi Rabbi on Sephardic student

Rabbi Refael Cohen of Tzefat, a relative of the hatan (groom) explained the events that transpired. 

“The chupah (wedding ceremony) was conducted by the Rosh Yeshiva with the assistance of the hatan’s father who is a Rabbi in one of the northern communities of Israel.  After the ceremony the Ashkenazi Rosh Yeshiva then instructed the hatan and kallah to go to the yichud (private) room, a minhag (custom) 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 students to leave as well.”

The hatan cried, begging the Rosh Yeshiva to stay, but to no avail.  R’ Cohen gathered a group of Sefardic boys from a local yeshiva to be mesameach (rejoice) the hatan and R’ Yitzchak Yosef, son of R’ Ovadia Yosef,  came to the wedding immediately - after he found out -  to share in the festivities as well. Rav Avraham Yosef explained that the problem of Ashkenazi Roshei Yeshiva insisting that Sefardic students abandon their minhag and follow the minhag of the yeshiva is a common one. 

 “This Rosh Yeshiva caused pain and grief to a hatan on his wedding day and does not deserve to be a Rosh Yeshiva.  It is forbidden to learn in his yeshiva”. 

Rav Avraham Yosef, Chief Rabbi of Cholon called for the ouster of the rosh yeshiva who embarrassed a Sefardi hatan (groom) at his wedding by leaving with his students immediately after the chupah, after the hatan refused to follow the Rosh Yeshiva’s Ashkenazi minhag (custom).