This past week, over 215 local rebbeim, morim, and moros, along with over 45 almanos, benefited from a special new chesed. Robby Neuman, founder of Chickens for Shabbos, saw a need in our community and partnered with Chazaq to fill this need. Special thanks to Congregation Ner Mordechai in Kew Gardens for their hosting these events.
Robby stated, “The rebbeim, morim, and moros in our local yeshivos are our frontline essential workers. Without them, no one is religious and where would we be? We owe them for all that they bestow on our children. They are the ones perpetuating our mesorah and we want to say thank you and to ameliorate the financial stress on their families. At the same time, there are almanos who need to know that the community is here for them and that someone cares.
Baruch Hashem, the organization Avigdor’s Helping Hand, which we wrote about in this paper many times, offers tremendous help for families who lost a father or mother. They were instrumental in reaching out to the almanos.
This week was the fourth clothing and household giveaway and the first time almanos were included. Olam Chesed, a special organization that provides for families in need, provided the goods so that there were a lot of choices of clothing and household items. Goods included the following: clothing (for men, women, and children), diapers, baby wipes, shoes, makeup, mirrors, memory foam slippers, weighted blankets, fleece blankets, and various household necessities.
Robby Neuman imparted, “We have an obligation to all those moros and m’lamdim for the spiritual advancement of the children in Queens.” So far, more than 400 rebbeim and moros were helped with these clothing and household items giveaways, and this means thousands of children were helped if you factor in the children from each of these families. “When you make another Jew happier, it’s olam ha’ba in olam ha’zeh.” He added, “Hashem’s gift to all of us is today. And the blessing of today is to take away the pain of a Jew.”
Below are comments from some of the recipients about the distribution.
“This was such an amazing initiative. I always think about my students. Now, I could shop for my own family.”
“What a tremendous mitzvah helping the community!”
“The distribution was so helpful and helped me with a lot of things I needed.”
“The distribution has helped our household by giving out much needed items that because of COVID are hard to get.”
Robby Neuman shared the incredible work of Chickens for Shabbos. “Chickens for Shabbos is an organization specializing in helping three categories of families: agunos, g’rushos, and m’lamdim. They help 300 families of m’lamdim and 110 families of agunos and g’rushos. They privately tutor 222 children of agunos and g’rushos including both boys and girls. This translates into thousands of neshamos begging for help. This organization operates on zero overhead. There are no words to express our gratitude for your continued financial support. These neshamos that you help will be an advocate for you. This tz’dakah has one goal: to take away the pain of poverty and replace it with great memories.” They partner with Yad Eliezer.
Robby stated that “The educators of our children are our heroes. They are the frontline. Without them we are lost.”
Chazaq and Chickens for Shabbos are asking the community members of Queens to help perpetuate this worthy tz’dakah. You’ll get the z’chus to partner with Chazaq and Chickens for Shabbos.
Robby Neuman pleaded, “Help us to give Hashem a better, kinder world.” He noted how, whatever we do, Hashem pays us back measure for measure. You can donate at ChickensforShabbos.com or GiveChazaq.org.
What a z’chus it would be for all of us if you would help us in this endeavor by donating to Chickens for Shabbos.com, which will now be l’zeicher nishmas Rabbi Fabian Schonfeld zt”l who was the founding partner of Chickens for Shabbos, the charity that operates with zero overhead.
By Susie Garber
