{"id":2613,"date":"2023-02-16T13:19:10","date_gmt":"2023-02-16T18:19:10","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/thevoiceoflakewood.com\/?p=2613"},"modified":"2023-02-16T13:19:10","modified_gmt":"2023-02-16T18:19:10","slug":"eim-leah","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/thevoiceoflakewood.com\/eim-leah\/","title":{"rendered":"Eim Leah"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

The Not-So-Tiny World of Eim Leah<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

A mother holding her newborn baby. Is there any moment more magical? Any bond more transcendent? Any image more iconic to our nation\u2019s essence?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Granted\u2014there\u2019s the magic. And the gratitude. But as anyone blessed to have been there knows, there\u2019s also perpetual exhaustion, staggering overwhelm, and breathless disbelief that this tiny being can effect change so tremendous.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We all know the truth: when a mother who doesn\u2019t give herself time and space to recover after birth, her ambition backfires.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

But when her household tasks abound, her children each vie for their piece of the pie, and her to-do list beckons, Mommy succumbs.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Welcome to Eim Leah, created to restore the age-old tradition of caring for new mothers as a community.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Peek into their not-so-tiny world and join the journey of thousands of Lakewood families whose joyous times have remained joyful.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A mission<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Look around at Lakewood\u2019s mothers\u2014an indomitable force of capable, successful, multitasking dynamos. It\u2019s a marvel, but it begs the question: How much is too much? Who will gently usurp the reins at the right moment and say, Now, leave it to us?<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Enter Eim Leah, founded in memory of Leah (Bergman) Eisdorfer a\u201dh<\/em>, a quintessential young mother who was tragically killed in a car accident. In her memory, Leah\u2019s friends set out to create a movement that would center around mothers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI\u2019ll never forget those first meetings after Leah\u2019s passing,\u201d says Rochella Singer, co-founder of Eim Leah. \u201cLeah was beloved by everyone and had a special pureness that shone as she mothered her children with an unbelievable presence.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

When Eim Leah\u2019s visionaries sat down with Rav Malkiel Kotler, the Skverer Dayan, and Rav Moshe Zev Feldman and broached the concept of their grassroots initiative, they expected approval. Instead, they got resounding support and encouragement to establish an organization that would fill the gaping void in the circle of care provided to postpartum women.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Eim Leah was founded in 2016 on the simple yet powerful belief that every mother deserves to be supported\u2014and yes, pampered\u2014after giving birth.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The idea was not revolutionary. For generations, relatives and friends have been sending meals and adopting toddlers so that new mommies could rest up. But life has changed dramatically, and with everyone\u2019s hectic schedules and large families, the new mommy needs more.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Seven whirlwind years later, the mission remains unchanged\u2014only expanded, enhanced, and extended. Eim Leah delivers a one-week care package for the entire family which includes hot dinners, fresh lunch for the new mother, a layette package, a cleaning lady, a baby nurse for multiples, and afternoon babysitting, supporting and pampering numerous new mothers and by extension, their families.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Ripple effect<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

When you send a mother a meal or a helping hand after birth, you are sending so much more than practical help. You\u2019re sending kinship, rejuvenation, relief. You\u2019re restoring the rightful glory to the ultimate continuation of Klal Yisrael.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

An average of 50 families receive Eim Leah\u2019s services each week, and the gratitude they share propels the close to 200 volunteers to keep giving. The feedback pours in weekly, surprising even the staff sometimes with its raw passion and vivid imagery.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThose babysitters were angels in disguise,\u201d one new mother wrote. \u201cThey held down the fort downstairs while I crawled into a cocoon of blessed oblivion upstairs. It was two hours of serenity that gave me strength for the whole day.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThis is the first time I showed up to second seder<\/em> without guilt for a week straight,\u201d one husband shared. \u201cMy wife knows she will receive lunch, supper, and babysitting help. This has affected our whole family so positively, and we couldn\u2019t be more grateful.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI couldn\u2019t believe how simple and intuitive the whole process was,\u201d one grateful mother said. \u201cThe timely meal deliveries really put me at ease.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Overcoming the hurdles<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Eim Leah staff freely admit that its successful path has not been without its hurdles, both operational and financial.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWe\u2019re fortunate to be a joyful service,\u201d explains Shifra Mehl, co-founder. \u201cBut that also means we don\u2019t have the perk of sensationalist fundraising. We are not featuring weeping orphans or gut-wrenching accounts. As a preventive service, we will never know the true ripple effect of the transformation. But it\u2019s there.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A few years ago, she and her husband went to Rav Moshe Brandsdorfer for much-needed chizuk <\/em>with regard to fundraising. He shared a famous parable of a town that had a broken roadway leading into it. There was a constant stream of mishaps, with passengers and horses falling and getting injured. The townspeople met to address the situation and resolved to fix it\u2014by building a hospital at the end of the road.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

R\u2019 Moshe deals with numerous shalom bayis<\/em> and chinuch<\/em> problems, and when a new baby is thrown into the mix without the proper support in place, things can spiral out of control too quickly. \u201cYou lay the foundation for a physically and emotionally healthy recovery. Who knows how much damage you are preventing?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Notwithstanding the challenges, Esti Ginsburg of Ginsburg Associates, who has been managing the Eim Leah account since its inception, notes that the organization has experienced incredible siyata d\u2019Shmaya<\/em> over the years. \u201cIt\u2019s clear that Hashem is on our side,\u201d she says. \u201cI\u2019ve seen tremendous brachah<\/em> in my life each time I stretched myself to go the extra mile for Eim Leah.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWhat most people don\u2019t realize is that Eim Leah is a massive operation run by a group of extraordinary women who volunteer their hearts and time during and between their own hectic schedules,\u201d says Goldie Chopp, co-director. \u201cThere is no central office and there are no executive salaries, but with Hashem\u2019s help, we are meeting the need.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWe are not a \u2018wow\u2019 organization,\u201d Leiba Hirth, co-director, relates. \u201cThat\u2019s because what we do is so normal, so necessary, that it can almost be taken for granted. Our annual campaign simply reminds the community of the obvious fact that we want to keep saying yes, but we can\u2019t do it alone.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Eim Leah is well-known for being professionally run, efficiently operated, and always thoughtfully executed. \u201cI am involved in multiple businesses,\u201d says Shaindy Menzer, co-founder, \u201cand I can vouch that Eim Leah is run like a legitimate high-end company. From accounting to marketing to coordination, it is truly a venture the community can be proud of.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Never resting<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

The organization never rests.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Eim Leah is extremely grateful to Mr. Ralph Lasry, who recently created the seamless app for processing applications and coordinating operations.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

And it doesn\u2019t stop at meals. One day, Chani, a devoted Eim Leah volunteer, entered a home to deposit some food boxes on the kitchen counter, and the mother couldn\u2019t stop apologizing for the visible disarray. \u201cSomething clicked at that moment,\u201d Chani shares. Meals are essential. Cleaning help is essential. Maybe home organization is also essential?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Thus, a new department was born, and a team of star organizers help restore seder <\/em>to the homes and minds of new mothers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cPeople might wonder about this service,\u201d one mother shared, \u201cbut I\u2019m telling you it made a bigger difference than anything else.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Mrs. Gitty Meyer has been a mainstay at Eim Leah since its inception and the singular driving force behind the Boruch Wydra A\u201dh supper program, the largest division of Eim Leah\u2019s operation and budget. She notes that accepting help after birth is not only essential but natural. When the tables turn, mothers are happy to give back if they can, since they know how important the support is.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Henny, a volunteer coordinator, shares, \u201cIt\u2019s amazing to see how Hashem is with you when you are doing chessed<\/em>. Every week, the number of stops and distance between them keeps growing, and I wonder how we will have enough volunteer drivers to cover the shifts. But somehow, the routes get filled and they all pull through. And of course, that\u2019s a testament to our incredible volunteers. Midwinter, Yom Tov season, back to school\u2014really, nothing stops them.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A vital partnership<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

We expect so much from our women\u2014and they of themselves. We know the birth of a baby should be a milestone moment, but in a city with a birth rate like Lakewood\u2019s ka\u201dh<\/em>, it\u2019s hard to preserve that magical aura that once surrounded birth.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Unless we do everything we can to keep it going.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Eim Leah has accomplished so much more than providing meals and services for mothers. It has created an awareness that a mother after birth is a queen, that children thrive when their mother is cared for, and that a family\u2019s functioning sometimes hinges on things that are often overlooked.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Eim Leah has quickly become a source of pride for the Lakewood community. We know our people, <\/em>it whispers. And we know how to be there for them.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Now, it\u2019s your turn. Eim Leah\u2019s annual fundraising campaign enables it to keep going\u2014and keep growing.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Donate today at charidy.com\/eimleah or call 732-655-3322. Checks can be mailed to 36 Glen Avenue, Lakewood, NJ 08701.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Ready to join the ranks? Eim Leah is always seeking energetic and capable volunteers to coordinate services in their neighborhood or deliver lunches and suppers. To volunteer, call 732-851-1302.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Reach out\u2014and never look back.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Sidebar:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A peek into Eim Leah stats<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Meals delivered<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

2017:<\/strong> 406<\/p>\n\n\n\n

2018:<\/strong> 659<\/p>\n\n\n\n

2019:<\/strong> 812<\/p>\n\n\n\n

2020:<\/strong> 867<\/p>\n\n\n\n

2021:<\/strong> 1,313<\/p>\n\n\n\n

2022:<\/strong> 1,873<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Budget<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

2022:<\/strong> $600,000<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Weekly:<\/strong> $12,500<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Average cost of servicing one family:<\/strong> $315<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Number of families serviced in 2022:<\/strong> 1,800<\/p>\n\n\n\n

New Eim Leah families each week:<\/strong> 40<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Services<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Fresh dinners<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Hot lunches<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Babysitting<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Cleaning help<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Baby nurses for multiples<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Layette<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Home organizing<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

The Not-So-Tiny World of Eim Leah A mother holding her newborn baby. Is there any moment more magical? Any bond more transcendent? Any image more iconic to our nation\u2019s essence? Granted\u2014there\u2019s the magic. And the gratitude. But as anyone blessed to have been there knows, there\u2019s also perpetual exhaustion, staggering overwhelm, and breathless disbelief that […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":2614,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"site-sidebar-layout":"default","site-content-layout":"","ast-site-content-layout":"","site-content-style":"default","site-sidebar-style":"default","ast-global-header-display":"","ast-banner-title-visibility":"","ast-main-header-display":"","ast-hfb-above-header-display":"","ast-hfb-below-header-display":"","ast-hfb-mobile-header-display":"","site-post-title":"","ast-breadcrumbs-content":"","ast-featured-img":"","footer-sml-layout":"","theme-transparent-header-meta":"","adv-header-id-meta":"","stick-header-meta":"","header-above-stick-meta":"","header-main-stick-meta":"","header-below-stick-meta":"","astra-migrate-meta-layouts":"default","ast-page-background-enabled":"default","ast-page-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"ast-content-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"footnotes":""},"categories":[11],"tags":[19],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/thevoiceoflakewood.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2613"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/thevoiceoflakewood.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/thevoiceoflakewood.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/thevoiceoflakewood.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/thevoiceoflakewood.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2613"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/thevoiceoflakewood.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2613\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2615,"href":"https:\/\/thevoiceoflakewood.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2613\/revisions\/2615"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/thevoiceoflakewood.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2614"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/thevoiceoflakewood.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2613"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/thevoiceoflakewood.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2613"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/thevoiceoflakewood.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2613"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}