On Tuesday night, February 14, streams of young ladies and women of all ages excitedly filled the hall of the Young Israel of Kew Gardens Hills for a unique Hafrashas Challah Event. Close to 200 women came to show their support for the Erna Lindenfeld Hachnosas Kallah Fund of Queens (ELHKQ) and join together for an evening of incredible inspiration. Greeting each person as she arrived were our special hostesses for the Hafrashas Challah Event, as well as the members of the ELHKQ Board. A buffet table was set with an assortment of drinks, fruit platters, and a delicious selection of pastries. Round tables covered the room bedecked in lovely tablecloths, with piles of gloves, baggies, and “Happy Tears” tissue packets available in the center of each table, all ready for the Hafrashas Challah moment. Side tables were piled high with challah dough that had been ordered by the attendees.
Rebbetzin Amanda Rosenfelt of the YIKGH (and a member of the ELHKQ Board) began the evening with T’hilim on behalf of all of klal Yisrael, including the recent victim of the Ramot Attack, Avraham Noach ben Yehudis li’r’fuah sh’leimah. She went on to describe the incredible work of the Erna Lindenfeld Hachnosas Kallah Fund of Queens, which was founded in 1985 by Reb. Ruth Schonfeld a”h and is now in its 38th year. The volunteer-only organization has a dedicated mission to help thousands of financially deprived couples in Queens, Israel, and across the United States. Despite the joyous occasion, many couples are struggling to make even a simple wedding and to set up their households with basic needs.
Rebbetzin Rosenfelt shared a beautiful d’var Torah from Chavie Dick, one of the driving forces behind the Challah event. The Maharsha in Maseches Sotah teaches us that those who learn and review the halachos associated with any mitzvah, they acquire 75 percent of the s’char of that mitzvah. The other 25 percent of the s’char for the mitzvah is awarded when the person is oseik ba’mitzvah (performs the mitzvah). When we review one mitzvah, it strengthens the observance of other mitzvos, as well. Looking across the audience, she exclaimed that “by all of us attending here tonight, we are acquiring for ourselves the s’char of the beautiful mitzvah of Hafrashas Challah. May Hashem be m’kabeil all our t’filos and bakashos l’tovah, and may we all be zocheh to the ultimate s’char of challah (Ches-Lamed-Hei) which is roshei teivos for cheilek l’olam ha’ba. The group responded with a loud and heartfelt “Amein.”
The audience was then treated to the highlight of the evening: Mrs. Suri Jaroslawitz, the dynamic Challah Lady, who shared her unique mission in life. While she was busy as the assistant principal of a local yeshivah, her husband opened a pizza restaurant on 18th Avenue. Realizing he needed her expertise to both make the dough and be mafrish challah, he prevailed on her to leave her job and join him in the business. Mrs. Jaroslawitz spent many years taking challah countless times a day, davening with kavanah each time for the needs of klal Yisrael, and turning gashmiyus into ruchniyus. It didn’t take long for people to realize that her t’filos had a special chein and they started to invite her to participate in challah bakes to speak to the women of klal Yisrael, inspiring them to grow in this special mitzvah and to focus more on their t’filah. She quickly earned the beloved title of “The Challah Lady,” as more and more women were motivated by her passionate presentation and began to bake challah.
Mrs. Jaroslawitz spoke about the incredible power of the three special mitzvos of women: Hadlakas Neiros, Challah, and Mikvah. Each one is a tremendous eis ratzon that she implored the participants to take seriously and not underestimate. She shared stories of tremendous y’shuos and inspired the audience to recognize the tremendous chesed of HaKadosh Baruch Hu, thank Him continuously, and take advantage of these special times that are m’sugal for the t’filos of a woman. No one else can do these mitzvos on a women’s behalf, and they should not be taken lightly or rushed. These three mitzvos should be done with concentration, as we daven for ourselves, our families, and klal Yisrael. When we say, “Zo (13) Mitzvas (536) HaChallah (48) = 613, we should realize that the mitzvah of Challah embodies a power comparable to Taryag Mitzvos.
As she was mafrish challah, Mrs. Jaroslawitz davened for the audience and klal Yisrael – and everyone responded with a hearfelt “Amein.” She explained that the gematria of amein is 91, the same as the gematria of mal’ach. Every Amein said creates a mal’ach, and with 200 women and girls present, 200 mal’achim were created with each brachah and Amein said. As the emotion built up in the room, Mrs. Jaroslawitz went from table to table, person after person. Close to 100 people with dough said the brachah out loud, and the full room responded with a loud and wholehearted “Amein” (100 brachos x 200 attendees = 20,000 mal’achim created).
Culminating the event, the energy was palpable as the supremely talented Karen Daitchman went to her keyboard and immediately broke into poignant song, uplifting us higher and higher. People held each other’s shoulders, swaying to the music and singing aloud, releasing the pent-up feelings that had been building all evening as they joined together in a beautiful rikud. The inspiration was clearly evident on people’s faces as they hugged each other and made their way out of the room.
This special event was generously sponsored by several wonderful Queens families. An anonymous donor sponsored the event as a z’chus for a zivug hagun for Shlomo ben Shila Orliy. The other donors were board member Mrs. Devorah Shore and her family, board member and former President of ELHKQ Mrs. Celia Rapp in memory of her beloved mother a”h Oma Jenny, and the Bruckstein Family. Our raffle prize, a Bosch mixer, was donated anonymously and won by Mrs. Rena Goldman.
The President of ELHKQ, Ettie Zelmanowitz, and the entire board also want to express sincere appreciation to all the hostesses of the event, who worked tirelessly to make it a resounding success: Tamar Rosenbaum, Tovie Zakutinsky, Basya Bruckstein, Sheila Israelian, Aliza Gabay, Rebbetzin Amanda Rosenfelt, Esther Adler, Chana Lederman, Jennifer Berenholz, Rebbetzin Ora Nisanov, and Batsheva Pollack.
The flyer was designed and created by a local graphic artist, Sara Elbogen Leibowitz, who donated her time and patiently made a myriad of changes with a smile. The photographs were generously taken by Maayan Wolpov of Maayan Photography, who is now living in the Queens Community. Please contact her at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. for all your photography needs. The YIKGH magnanimously provided the shul for the event, and YCQ thoughtfully opened the parking lot so that the attendees could park safely.
Many thanks to Karen Daitchman who always donates her time to ensure that the musical aspects of ELHKQ events are enjoyable and meaningful.
Finally, our sincere hakaras ha’tov to the dedicated Board Members of ELHKQ for their hard work and dedication to the chasanim and kallos of klal Yisrael, and to the entire community for their continued support. ELHKQ only exists because of your generosity.
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Please join with us in supporting the chasanim and kallos of klal Yisrael. Donations can be made through Zelle to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. and via PalPay/CreditCard from our website www.hkqueens.org. Checks can be mailed to 137-37 71st Avenue, Flushing, NY 11367.
