March 3, 2009

God Will Provide

Miryam Torres is a local woman whose quiet work was featured this past Sunday in a front-page article in the (NJ) Star-Ledger. Herself an immigrant from Ecuador who arrived in the United States 40 years ago and has since raised five children-now all adults, it was Miryam’s work as a field representative for Essex County that alerted her to a group of immigrants (living in the East Orange, NJ area) who often went without a meal for days on end.

The news article shared that Miryam remembered growing up in Ecuador and her father’s (a baker) admonition that they were always to share with people who had less. Her mother was a nurse/midwife and Miryam recalled going out at all hours of the day and night when her mother was called to a medical situation. Hearing that these people were without sustenance evoked just one response-I must cook for them so they can have a hot meal.

…and cook she does. Every Thursday evening Miryam visits the supermarket where she purchases the ingredients for her meal. She returns home and spends the evening cooking…chicken and rice, hot soup, sandwiches-a healthy, hot meal for sustenance. Friday night (it is a sort-of "Shabbat" meal) Miryam and her disabled brother pack the food in individual containers and proceed to a dark parking lot where the group assembles to share this meal-made-with-love. Sometimes people give Miryam clothes to share with the men and since the news article appeared, one woman brought her 25 blankets to distribute and a local pastor is opening his church every Friday night so that the group can share their meal in a more comfortable place.

When I met Miryam at a local diner she was everything I had expected and more. The first thing that struck me as we walked into the restaurant were the warm greetings of "hi Miryam" that came from both the diner’s patrons and the staff. Clearly Miryam was "known" here in her neighborhood. Diminutive in stature but definitely someone with passion and compassion, Miryam shared that she was surprised by the response the news story had evoked. Some good people had come forth with help and others had written angry letters to the paper assailing her for what she was doing. She expressed more than a little concern for her own safety. When I asked her why she was doing this, her response to me was that if someone has no food you must help them. When I inquired how she was going to continue to pay for this week after week, she looked me in the eye and very calmly explained that "God will provide". It was then that I knew that I had made a good decision to try to track her down…good people come in all sizes and from many different backgrounds. They are always out there-sometimes you just have to search a bit to find them.

To help Miryam in her beautiful work the Good People Fund will underwrite the cost of some new commercial cooking utensils (something she was most appreciative to have) as well as cover the cost of several weeks’ meals. (She reports that each week’s groceries run her about $60) We also requested that she occasionally add a little dessert to end the meal-something she had not done when she was underwriting the meals herself.

March 2, 2009

A Note for the Mailman

We last wrote about Ranya Kelly and her Colorado-based Redistribution Center on August 15, 2008. At that time, we shared that in addition to Ranya’s efforts in retrieving brand new merchandise from manufacturers and retailers (which she then distributes to people who are in need) Ranya has also opened a small food pantry which provides nourishment to many people in her local area who just do not have enough money to put sufficient food on their table. Many times, when larger pantries are empty, Ranya is called upon to help out.

Ranya called a few hours ago. She was clearly distressed. In all of the years that she has been involved in her work, never has she seen such desperate times. So many people are hurting. However, the call that she received this morning really upset her and she had to share it with me.

The call came from the Sheriff’s office in El Paso County—a distance from where Ranya lives. Local food pantries were bare and Ranya was asked if she could help someone who had no provisions at all. It seems that the sheriff’s office received a call from a local postal worker who, while making his rounds delivering mail, found a note in the mailbox of one of his patrons. The note said that the writer, an 85 year old woman, had lost her husband, an army veteran, a few years before and she had had no food to eat for the past two days. Could anyone help? The postman called the sheriff’s office seeking help and eventually Ranya received her call. An 85 year old woman, no family, and no food to eat—something was terribly wrong. Assured by the authorities that they would help her get through the next few days, Ranya offered to drive to the town where the woman is living and will bring her a good supply of canned goods, meat and other nutritious food. She assured me that she would find out more about the woman’s circumstances and get back to me if there was anything that we could do.

Somehow, we don’t think that Ranya’s story is all that unusual in today’s economic climate. Do any of us really know what is happening to our neighbors?

February 24, 2009

Israel Diary – Passion

What struck me most as I sat in the lobby of our hotel that Friday morning, and spoke with Darla Oz about her work was the passion in her eyes. It was palpable. Anyone listening would know that this was a woman who not only loved what she was doing, but lived it as well.

Darla Oz and her husband (who goes by the name “Oz”) retired to Israel from Ohio about 10 years ago. They had visited many times before and each time friends gave them money to give away to people who needed it. (Familiar story?) When they decided to retire the wish to continue to help people did not diminish and Darla worked for several years as a volunteer with Yad Sarah until 2001 when they formalized House to House, the organization we were interested in learning about. House to House provides food assistance, clothing, shoes, help for Elders including Shoah survivors and other basic needs to people who would otherwise “fall through the cracks”. They are incorporated in the US and have non-profit status but their work is done in Israel. Their budget runs about $100,000-$150,000 each year and their overhead is minimal. Neither she nor her husband takes a salary. This is another example of a small, highly effective program that provides for basic needs. Most of their referrals come from social workers and Darla meets all of the recipients personally.

Darla mentioned that they were finding a need for funds to cover cab rides for many of the people they help. In a subsequent phone conversation she estimated that $50 monthly would cover those costs (or $600 annually). I told her we would be her “cab fund” and have already sent her six month’s of cab money. They are also in need of some computer programming which would allow Ed to track their work more efficiently. I told them to get some prices on that need and we would consider underwriting it.

February 23, 2009

Israel Diary – The Fruits of our Labors

We have been in the “mitzvah” business for more than 16 years. It is not often that we get to see the fruits of our labors—tangible evidence of just how critically important our efforts can be. On this Israel trip, that message came through in the most unexpected, but powerful way possible.

One of the stops on our itinerary was in Beit Shean where we made a few visits before going on to Kibbutz Merav with Yitz Feigenbaum, one of the founders of Beit Hayeled (see Tzedakah Diary, April 4, 15, 2008, July 20, 2008). Beit Hayeled is a very special home where kids who are removed from their parents by the courts have a chance to live in a loving, warm and supportive environment. The kids are given everything that we would give our own children—love, discipline, a new bike, new clothes, toys, games, nourishing food—a warm home. The problems these kids were exposed to prior to their placement at Beit Hayeled are the very things we read about in the newspaper…severe abuse, parents with drug or alcohol addiction, imprisonment…a sad and sorry combination of circumstances that rarely allow for a “normal” upbringing.

In all of the years we have worked with Yitz we know that he has never exposed the kids to visitors who might want to see the program first-hand. The kids’ privacy is zealously protected—they are never used to help further Beit Hayeled’s purpose. Knowing this, it was a bit of a surprise when Yitz asked us to lunch and to "meet someone". After a sumptuous meal complete with delicious Israeli salads of all kinds, a handsome young man appeared who immediately embraced Yitz and joined us at the table. Sitting in front of us was "Shimon", a Beit Hayeled graduate, now a young man in his early 20’s. Shimon explained the circumstances that brought him to Beit Hayeled while he was a youngster and how he spent many of his years there just “sitting around” sullenly on the very couches that abutted our dinner table. It was only Yitz and Irit’s unconditional love and firm hands that brought him to where he was today—married, attending college and the father of a young baby himself.

Sitting at that table and maintaining our composure was impossible. We were suddenly overcome with tears of joy as we saw first-hand just what our involvement in Beit Hayeled’s work had helped to accomplish. Here was living proof that a life could not only be saved but could go on to flourish, give back and bring new life into the world. As we left Beit Hayeled that afternoon, I asked Yitz why he and Irit had broken all of their rules and brought Shimon to lunch with us. With just the hint of a glimmer in his eyes, Yitz explained that sometimes you have to break the rules and let someone share in the joy and naches that they have helped bring about. It was a lunch that will never be forgotten.

February 20, 2009

An Olam Katan (small world) Mitzvah Story

In the olam katan (small world) mitzvah story department–I received a truly amazing call yesterday from a woman in nearby Livingston who read a NJ Jewish News article about Danny Siegel’s (founder of the now-closed Ziv Tzedakah Fund) visit to teens in Metrowest. The woman called the Jewish News who referred her to me…

She noted Danny’s mention of Clara Hammer (affectionately referred to as the Chicken Lady) in his talk and immediately recalled that that was the name of her Hebrew school teacher in Brooklyn over 40 years ago! I told her that yes, Clara had taught in Brooklyn and gave her an update on the last 40 years. She had been in touch with three friends who were in the same class and they all agreed that the Clara described in the article had to be their teacher. I shared Clara’s "song and dance" routine and she laughed saying that the five years she taught them (it was an Orthodox school and girls were not prepared for Bat Mitzvah) they learned quite a few songs…especially Yerushalayim Shel Zahav—something we know is a standard in Clara’s repertoire. The daughter of one of the friends is studying at Hebrew U and is going to call Clara’s daughter to arrange a visit…

I visited Clara a few weeks ago while I was in Israel and despite her impending 99th birthday, many, many people are still celebrating Shabbat with proper, menschlich food….age does not seem to be stopping this amazing woman from going about her special work. Indeed, we suspect that it is this very mitzvah work that keeps her young in heart and in spirit!

February 17, 2009

Paying It Forward

Last November (November 5, 2008, The Righteous Among Us) we described the good work carried out by the Israel-based organization, ATZUM which was founded by Rabbi Levi Lauer. Rabbi Lauer’s efforts are dedicated to the welfare of terror survivors, foreign workers and Righteous Gentiles—a small group of truly blessed people who are living out their last days in Israel. When we met with Levi and Karyn London, the social worker who works with terror survivors, we were moved by a story that was shared about one of these Righteous Gentiles, Viktor Polischuk. Viktor and his family sheltered Lev and Arkadiy Burshtein during the 1943 extermination of a ghetto in Ukraine. Later that year, as the Germans approached, Viktor and his family moved the father and son to a safer place under Romanian control and it was there that they remained until the liberation. In 1995 Viktor was recognized by Yad Vashem and then moved to Israel.

How did Rabbi Lauer find a way to try to repay this gentle man for what he had done to save two Jews? Nothing we could write would come close to the heartfelt words Levi composed as he tries to gather funds to perform this profound mitzvah…

Viktor Polischuk risked his and his family’s life to save a Jewish father and son during the Shoah. His 23 year old grandson, Antosha Polischuk, was recently diagnosed with a virulent, life threatening leukemia. Antosha moved from Ukraine to begin a course of treatment in Moscow which his family does not have the funds to continue.

In this recession smitten, Madoff (ATZUM’s funds are invested directly in plain vanilla government bond and money market funds) bitten time, this was likely a risk ill taken. But a life is at stake and we cannot imagine a more fitting tribute to a grandfather who risked all to save Jews and allow their future generations to come to life.

This moving story reminds us of how we never know just when a kindness or brave action can be repaid despite the passage of perhaps decades. We whole-heartedly agree with ATZUM’s decision to step in here and have sent some funds to help them underwrite this life-saving action.