{"id":2632,"date":"2023-02-24T16:37:40","date_gmt":"2023-02-24T21:37:40","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/thevoiceoflakewood.com\/?p=2632"},"modified":"2023-02-24T16:37:40","modified_gmt":"2023-02-24T21:37:40","slug":"circle-of-giving","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/thevoiceoflakewood.com\/circle-of-giving\/","title":{"rendered":"Circle of Giving"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

The People Who Power Lakewood\u2019s Landmark Tzedakah<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Elisheva Braun<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Snow was falling and the ground was frozen.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The car\u2019s tiny clock read 2 a.m. as Mrs. Shanik stepped out of her van to distribute reading material for families to enjoy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A high school girl crossed the street, murmuring into the cell phone tucked against her shoulder. She looked up and noticed the nocturnal courier.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWhat are you doing? Can I help you?\u201d the girl asked.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

That\u2019s how Mrs. Shanik met Nechama Goldberg n\u00e9e Schreiber, who started as an occasional volunteer and eventually transformed Ahavas Tzedakah from a vintage mom-and-pop tzedakah<\/em> to a multimillion-dollar operation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Benefacting beginnings<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

For the iconic Shanik power couple, chessed<\/em> is a central theme.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cGrowing up, my home was always filled with people whom my parents were helping,\u201d Mrs. Shanik remembers. \u201cMy father, Mr. Weiner z\u201dl<\/em>, owned a big accounting firm. One summer, my husband visited my father\u2019s office. \u2018Why were so many people there standing around doing nothing?\u2019 he asked me afterward. The answer, of course, was that my father hired anyone who needed a job, no matter how unqualified, and he paid their salary.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

All throughout her childhood, the importance of helping people was impressed upon the young Mrs. Shanik.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cAs newlyweds, we lived in Richmond, Virginia, where my husband was enrolled in medical school. I remember shopping for Yom Tov and thinking, How can I buy myself new things when so many people are too poor to go shopping? <\/em>It wasn\u2019t until we moved to Lakewood that I turned that into action.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Forty years ago, back when Lakewood was a small, 10-block hamlet, Mrs. Shanik was told about a family that was struggling to make ends meet, and she began to raise money for them.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cAfter that, the recipient list quickly skyrocketed,\u201d says Dr. Shanik. \u201cSoon, my wife was single-handedly raising money for twenty-five to thirty local families. These families needed the basic necessities; we couldn\u2019t turn them away.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI collected money every Rosh Chodesh and gave it to Rabbi Kuperman or Rabbi Kreiswirth zt\u201dl<\/em>, who would distribute the funds,\u201d says Mrs. Shanik. \u201cI called stores and gave them money, then arranged for the recipients on our list to shop there free of charge. We started holding block campaigns in which representatives would collect for Ahavas Tzedakah from their neighbors.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI had young children then, and I would do pickups and deliveries at night when my husband was home to babysit. I would be out until one or two in the morning, delivering gifts to block reps, picking up envelopes and dropping them off. I don\u2019t know how I managed in those busy years, but Hashem helped me.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

How did Mrs. Shanik handle Ahavas Tzedaka\u2019s ever-ringing phones, always-growing lists, and exploding expenses?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIf you love a mitzvah and you do it with all your heart, you\u2019ll see incredible siyata d\u2019Shmaya. <\/em>The more you do, the more Hashem gives you. And when Ahavas Tzedakah got too big to manage, Hashem sent me Nechama Goldberg.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The team gets a new player<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI was a spoiled youngest who never did much for anyone,\u201d Nechama says with a laugh. \u201cWhen I saw Mrs. Shanik on that freezing night, all I did was offer to help out with the magazine distribution when I received my license a few months from then.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThat summer, I delivered magazines as well as gifts for the block campaign representatives. When Dr. and Mrs. Shanik asked me to help raise money, I reached out to my former classmates. I was so proud when the mailing made $5,000 that I decided to ask the broader Lakewood community for help.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cOn the advice of Rabbi Wenger z\u201dl<\/em>, to whom I had initially reached out to inquire about doing a full town mailing, I arranged Ahavas Tzedakah\u2019s first parlor meeting. The tent event was quickly filled with attendees, and the tzedakah<\/em> earned $130,000 that night.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The organization was growing fast, and Nechama decided that its operations needed to be streamlined. She collected data from the participating stores and compiled a list of the recipients and the amounts they were receiving.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWith the help of Rabbi Gavriel Finkel zt\u201dl<\/em>, we created an application for recipients, with one of the requirements being that the family rav <\/em>sign the document. We also instituted a biannual recertification system so we would know when the families\u2019 finances changed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cToday, I manage Ahavas Tzedaka\u2019s accounts and oversee its operations. I\u2019m involved in every step and situation. The work is so satisfying; it\u2019s become a key part of my life.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Nechama\u2019s is a high-stress job, and it\u2019s one she doesn\u2019t take lightly. \u201cThere are very challenging seasons, such as during our main fundraising campaign every summer. Before Yom Tov, the responsibilities are huge. I have to monitor the bank accounts and make sure that we\u2019re meeting our commitments.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThe block campaigns bring in money until just hours before Yom Tov, and it\u2019s my responsibility to ensure that checks are deposited, credit cards are processed, and Ahavas Tzedakah cards are reloaded. There are many times when I come home just minutes to Yom Tov. But to be able to not only be a listening ear but a source of real help is absolutely worth all the effort.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A calling in the classifieds<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Leah Sorotzkin, who helps manage Ahavas Tzedaka, never planned to play a central role in Lakewood\u2019s landmark tzedakah<\/em>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI saw an ad in the paper: Ahavas Tzedakah needed a temp to organize its dinner campaign. That was seven years ago; I\u2019ve been part of the team ever since,\u201d Leah says.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWhen I started out, we were manually stuffing envelopes and marking down applications in Excel spreadsheets, one by one. Thankfully, we\u2019ve come very far since then.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What drew Leah to the job\u2014and keeps her there years later\u2014is the ability to help others. \u201cAnswering the phones and hearing people tell their stories motivates me to do what I can to help them.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Pro bono programming<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cMrs. Goldberg reached out to me in 2015, looking for solutions. She wanted to create electronic gift cards that recipients could use with utmost dignity,\u201d says a software developer who wishes to remain anonymous. \u201cWhen I heard what Ahavas Tzedakah does, I was so impressed that I jumped right onboard and offered to do my work for them unsalaried. When I later explained Ahavas Tzedakah\u2019s work to my non-Jewish, West Coast programmer, he was blown away and decided to do all the programming free of charge, too.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cBaruch Hashem<\/em>, we\u2019ve been able to develop an amazing program which enables recipients to shop in a way that is undetectably different.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWe\u2019ve also developed software that streamlines and automates Ahavas Tzedakah\u2019s processes. This allows the office to run very efficiently, enabling the organization to help hundreds of families with a small staff and low overhead. Knowing that I play a role in helping so many people in a bakavod\u2019ig<\/em> way feels more rewarding than payment ever could.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

No family left behind<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThose who reach out to us are struggling to survive. They are often embarrassed to ask friends and relatives for help, and they call us as a last resort. We don\u2019t have the heart to turn these people away,\u201d Leah shares. \u201cOnce we take a family on, we commit to providing for them until they no longer need our support. Time and time again, we wonder, how will we pay for this? Over and over, we watch with awe as the numbers miraculously work out.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cOur dream is to expand our budget so we can give the full amount and more to every family. Our goal is to raise $6 million in 2023 so we can fully meet our neighbors\u2019 needs,\u201d says Nechama.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The liaison<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Seven years ago, the rosh yeshivah<\/em> Rav Yeruchem Olshin approached Rabbi Menachem Savitz, rosh mesivta<\/em> of Yeshiva Mikor Chaim.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThe rosh yeshivah<\/em> asked me to help the organization as much as I could,\u201d Rabbi Savitz relates. \u201cUntil that point, Rabbi Gavriel Finkel zt\u201dl<\/em> had guided the decisions. My job was to bring rabbanim<\/em> and roshei yeshivah<\/em> onto the rabbinical board and to act as a liaison between them and the Ahavas Tzedakah staff.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cRabbi Yosef Zimbal, Rabbi Henoch Shachar, and Rabbi Eliezer Gewirtzman have since joined, and they answer every she\u2019eilah <\/em>that arises. These busy and prominent rabbanim<\/em> return my calls within ten or twenty minutes; they are actively involved and care tremendously about the tzedakah<\/em>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cEvery aspect of the tzedakah<\/em> is approved by the rabbanim<\/em>, from communications and campaigns to allotment and exceptions. Eligibility is one sensitive issue that the rabbanim<\/em> address with their perceptive understanding of nuance and needs,\u201d says Rabbi Savitz.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The rabbanim speak<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

What is it about Ahavas Tzedakah that makes Rabbi Zimball, Rabbi Shachar, and Rabbi Gewirtzman so passionate about its mission?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cAhavas Tzedakah is an emes\u2019dig<\/em>, straightforward organization that helps hundreds of families who need the basics. Since its inception, the people who run it have shown tremendous care and concern for the recipients, putting them back on their feet and going out of their way to keep their dignity intact.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWe all meet with Mrs. Goldberg from time to time, especially before Yom Tov, when the bulk of the tzedakah <\/em>is given. We discuss the questions that come up, both general issues and particular situations. We also determine distribution policies to make sure the money is given to the people who really need it.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cGiving to this tzedakah<\/em> is a way of helping out the whole community. Anyone who donates to Ahavas Tzedakah should see brachos<\/em> and hatzlachah<\/em>, especially in chinuch habanim<\/em> and in all areas in which a family needs hatzlachah<\/em> to be a functional and happy unit.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWe hope this article will be a kiddush Hashem<\/em>,\u201d the rabbanim<\/em> conclude.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Real tears<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Rabbi Eliezer Gewirtzman, rav<\/em> in Lakewood\u2019s Coventry Square, joined the Ahavas Tzedakah rabbinical board in 2016. \u201cWhen I was approached to help out this chashuve<\/em> organization, I knew I couldn\u2019t refuse,\u201d he remembers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cA lot has changed in the last few years,\u201d says Rabbi Gewirtzman. \u201cIn general, both expenses and salaries have gone up, and many families are feeling financial strain. One thing we\u2019ve focused on recently is trying to help breadwinners increase their earning power. For example, if an application says that the father is working full-time and bringing home meager paychecks, we may get in touch with the family rav<\/em> to explore why the person is making such a low salary and the alternate options he can pursue.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

For Rabbi Gewirtzman, it\u2019s painful to have to deny families\u2019 requests for extra funds.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIt\u2019s different when you read the stories of poverty,\u201d he says. \u201cOf course, it hurts to hear about people who need tzedakah<\/em>. But when you speak to the families, it\u2019s real people, real issues, real tears. It\u2019s much more difficult to bear.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cAlthough it\u2019s hard to deal with people\u2019s tzaros<\/em>,what keeps me going is staying focused on how I can help people.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Invisible struggles<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWhen someone is unwell, their life is on hold. When a family faces poverty, though, the struggle is a silent one. Unless you\u2019re privy to details, the person likely seems just fine,\u201d says Nechama.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWe aren\u2019t crass enough to verbalize it, but we tend to internally question those who face financial crisis. In the back of our mind, we wonder, Can\u2019t they work harder, budget better? Why can\u2019t they figure it out on their own?<\/em>\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cSome of Ahavas Tzedakah\u2019s recipients pay exorbitant therapy or medical bills, and others cannot work due to physical or emotional disabilities,\u201d explains Rabbi Savitz. \u201cHowever, the vast majority are two-income families who work very hard to make a living. The sad truth is that many hardworking, carefully budgeting families cannot keep their heads above water in today\u2019s financially troubled times.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThe people who are just out of the income bracket for government assistance tend to have the hardest struggle of all. Although they may not meet official poverty requirements, they simply aren\u2019t making it. Especially with inflation, people cannot afford today\u2019s overwhelming living costs.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Preserving their pride<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cDiscretion isn\u2019t great for PR. It\u2019s hard to raise money while staying so low-key about what we do and whom we help,\u201d says Rabbi Savitz. \u201cBut, as the Rambam discusses, treating recipients with dignity is a vital element of tzedakah<\/em>. This is something Ahavas Tzedakah excels at.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cStruggling families are experiencing enough pain. The last thing we want is for them to feel more shame and degradation,\u201d says Nechama.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It may cost a great deal of money and time, but the organization stops at nothing when it comes to protecting the pride and privacy of its families.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Blocks unite<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Mrs. Shanik masterminded the block campaign over 30 years ago. The idea was to cultivate a sense of communal responsibility through grassroots fundraising.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cMany of our reps are still with us from the \u201990s, and they\u2019re passionate and enthusiastic about helping Lakewood families,\u201d says Leah. \u201cWe have 850 reps and counting, so there are a lot of moving parts in these campaigns. It\u2019s a time-consuming project; we spend hours sorting, recording, and depositing. As the envelopes come in and the pile of checks grows, it\u2019s very encouraging to watch the numbers add up and know that the pledges translate to food, clothes, housewares, and more.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Giving what they get<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Dr. and Mrs. Shanik, alongside local corporate sponsors who want to give back to the community, help cover Ahavas Tzedakah\u2019s overhead expenses, so nearly every dollar the organization gets goes straight into recipients\u2019 accounts.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWe have very low operating costs,\u201d Nechama relates. \u201cFrom the very beginning, Ahavas Tzedakah\u2019s only goal has been to be there for the people who need us.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Back on their feet<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

To date, close to 400 Ahavas Tzedakah families have been able to be removed from the recipient list. A large percentage of these graduates donate to the cause today.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI get so emotional when a reapplication is returned with a note that the recipients are back on their feet and no longer need our help. Often, there is a check tucked into the envelope. It\u2019s an incredible thing to see,\u201d Leah shares.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Ahavas Tzedakah throws a lifeline to drowning families. There is no greater joy than watching them find the strength to swim again.<\/p>\n\n\n\n