C48 HAMODIA

29 SHEVAT 5772

FEBRUARY 22, 2012

Community

Lakewood News
Interview
Continued from page C45

meals.
The people who eat at the Bais Hatavshil are our guests, and by serving them we perform the mitzvah of hachnasas orchim. We dont do mitzvos in half measures! The Bais Hatavshil provides an invaluable service for the many meshulachim who flock to town, which itself is a reflection of the incredible generosity that Lakewood is known for. Most of these people come because theyre financially strapped, and some are sick or have sick family members who are running up astronomical medical bills. Theres also the price of the airfare to consider. Restaurants simply arent an option. Before the Bais Hatavshil, a meshulach could go for many hours with no greater recompense than a drink or an apple from a considerate householder. Sometimes, hed go days without a cooked meal. Fortunately, those times are over. The Bais Hatavshil means that after collecting all day, hes assured a nutritious meal. The Bais Hatavshil isnt only about food, either. Im frequently at the Bais Hatavshil circulating among the guests, making sure they have a place to sleep, a driver to transport them and anything else they need for a successful stay. Many become close, and Ive visited several on their own turf in Eretz Yisrael. The meshulachim view the Bais Hatavshil as their home-away-from-home. We also have guests that come to Lakewood for other reasons and dont have a place to eat. Even if they can afford to buy their own food, theyd rather be here because of the convivial atmosphere. We dont ask questions. Anyone who comes to us is entitled to a meal. Its my long-term dream for the Bais Hatavshil to provide accommodations as well as food, but thats something for the future. Id also like to open branches of the Bais Hatavshil elsewhere in town. Lakewood is now so sprawling that we need a choice of locations.

Feature
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girls school (together with Rabbi Fishel Todd) that was struggling to stay afloat. Not long before, the school, which boasted a commercial kitchen, had bartered a deal with a fledgling caterer Reb Moshe, whereby he cooked the school lunches at no charge and received free use of the kitchen in return. Recognizing the advantages of the large dining room and central location of the school on 5th Street and Madison Avenue I asked Reb Moshe if he would also cook for the Bais Hatavshil. He graciously agreed, but as it was during the Three Weeks, we decided to wait until after Tishah BAv so we could serve fleishig meals. Reb Moshe was a man of his word. The day after Tishah BAv, he called me with the good news that hed prepared supper for thirty people for that night. There was only one problem. It was bein hazmanim and Lakewood had virtually emptied out; even the meshulachim had followed the vacationers to the country. Additionally, I hadnt advertised, and even if I had, who was around to come? But the supper was served as planned, although admittedly, the only diners were six meshulachim Id met in the Satmar minyan and begged to come. It didnt take long, however, for the Bais Hatavshil to become popular, and by the end of the first year, we were serving 150 portions of each meal. These days, at our location at 121 2nd Street, we steadily serve about 100 people nightly between 5:30 and 8:00 p.m. The Bais Hatavshil may have begun with an unspectacular opening, but this in itself brought about an interesting example of mitzvah goreres mitzvah. After that first supper, I warily asked a friend the father of a large family if hed do me a favor by taking the leftovers home. Some weeks later, this friend asked me if he could do me the favor again. The pathos behind his request was not lost on me. If he needed our leftovers, it meant that he and likely many other Lakewood families were short of food. At that point I made a second resolve. While the primary purpose of the Bais Hatavshil was to feed those who were visiting town, we would also see that those who live here arent left hungry. To this day, since we always cook an abundance of food for our guests and our numbers vary, were able to (also) provide several Lakewood families with the extra food that has not left the kitchen, almost nightly. Incidentally, this ensures that the food we serve at the Bais Hatavshil is freshly cooked every day, something we take great pride in.

Rekindling the Flame

For better or worse, there are no time machines in the real world. But there is nostalgia. Every once in a while, a yungerman whether in kollel or as a baal habayis yearns to relive his yeshivah experience just a bit. Roshei Yeshivos and maggidei shiur likewise do not want to erase memories of their talmidim from years gone by. Rabbi Menachem Savitz is a marbitz Torah in Lakewood who serves as a maggid shiur in Yeshivah Nezer HaTorah. Rabbi Savitz has forged a close kesher with various Gedolei Yisrael, especially the Roshei Yeshivah from his alma mater, Yeshivah Zichron Moshe of South Fallsburg, New York. The South Fallsburg Yeshivah was one of the first yeshivos to hold a special chizuk get-together each year for local alumni living in Lakewood. A gathering where rebbeim and alumni offer each other mutual support in a non-fundraising setting was something new. The original South Fallsburg alumni gatherings were held about two decades ago each Chanukah, hosted in the home of noted talmid Harav Eliezer Geldzahler, ztl, Rosh Yeshivah of Yeshivah Ohr Yisroel. As the group grew from year to year, there was a need for a larger space. More than a decade ago, Harav Abba Gorelick, ztl, Rosh Yeshivah of Yeshivah Zichron Moshe, called upon Rabbi Savitz to help arrange chizuk gatherings that could accommodate larger crowds. Rabbi Savitz then began to arrange the Chanukah gatherings each year, in local shuls and halls. All local alumni were invited; the overwhelming majority attended. At the beginning, these gatherings involved a full seudah, but over time the fare was simplified to basic refreshments. Rabbi Savitz says that the gatherings live up to their name everyone is there for pure chizuk. At each mesibah, Harav Gorelick, along with, yblc, Rosh Yeshivah Harav Elya Ber Wachtfogel, shlita, would deliver divrei chizuk, and a different alumnus would address each years gathering. Rabbi Savitz says there was always an overriding atmosphere of kulo ahavah, pure love, at these gatherings, which is the secret to why they are so beloved. Everyone is just so warm to everyone else, he says. Rabbi Savitz recounts how proud Rav Gorelick was of his brainchild and how he would look forward to the event the entire year. The Rosh Yeshivah would say, Whenever there are challenging times, I think of meeting the alumni in Lakewood and how we see the fruits of our labor and that keeps me going.

Following Rav Gorelicks tragic passing two years ago, his brother, yblc, Rav Isser, shlita, now speaks together with Rav Wachtfogel and the alumni each year. Rav Elya Ber likewise looks forward to the event immensely and dedicates the entire evening to meeting the alumni. He arrives before the event is scheduled to begin and remains there late in the evening, until all the alumni have had a chance to greet him and ask him any questions they have. Rabbi Savitz recounts one anecdote that captures the crux of the evening that the rebbitalmid bond cannot be severed: A non-alumnus approached Rav

Elya Ber at the gathering one year to ask him a question, and the Rosh Yeshivah immediately recognized that he was never a South Fallsburg talmid. Though he has amassed, bli ayin hara, thousands of talmidim over the years, Rav Elya Ber said that a former talmid would always be recognizable, even if he hadnt seen him in many years. Ah panim ken ich kein ein mul nisht fargesen, I can never forget a talmids face, he remarked.

Team Effort
Another yeshivah that has a large group of alumni living in Lakewood is the Yeshivah Gedolah of Passaic.
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Parnassah Expo FAQ

Q: Who should attend the Expo?
A: Anyone in need of a job, job skill or placement, or business start up/improvement, in the tri-state area. There will be over eighty booths filled with businesses, organizations, job training centers and workshops, and advisers who are there to assist you. you know about to the Expo and spread the word to anyone who may need assistance to attend.

Q: Is there still room? Id like to get a booth at Parnassah Expo.

A: Its a bit full, but give us a call as soon as possible and we will try to squeeze you in.

Q: Who is running Parnassah Expo?

Parnassah Expo is organized by The Learn and Network Kollel founded by Reb Duvi Honig, in conjunction with many communal organizations that have joined together to help the klal.

Q: What should I do if I have an available job, course, or service but am not able to make it to the Expo?
A: If you have a job opening, please email it to us with the subject line job available unable to attend. We will also be having a directory booklet with available ads at extremely low cost. You are welcome to place an ad in the booklet but please reserve as soon as possible, as it is going to print this week. Contact ads@parnassahexpo.com.

Q: Is there any charge to attend?

A: There is no charge to attend the Parnassah Expo. Please encourage all those in the searching process to attend.

Q: When and where is the Expo?

A: It will take place iyH this Sunday, February 26, at the Bais Yaakov Hall, 277 James Street. Womens hours are from 12 to 2:30 p.m. and mens hours are from 2:30 to 5 p.m.

Q: Will food be served at the Expo?

A: The Network Cafe will have food for purchase, courtesy of Bagel Nosh.

Does the Bais Hatavshil also serve Shabbos meals?

Shabbos meals are not on our present agenda, although we did pilot a Shabbos program for a year and a half. Although many meshulachim receive invitations from Lakewood families, theyre often too exhausted to sit through a long family meal. Our meals gave guests the chance to rush or relax according to their preference, especially on Friday nights when theyre more tired. At Shabbos lunch they were more rested and often opted for a longer meal with zemiros, divrei Torah, the works! While running the Shabbos program I hired a cook who is skilled in making Sephardic foods. Our menu follows an Ashkenazic style all week, but I knew that on Shabbos, many of our Israeli meshulachim would enjoy the Middle Eastern delicacies they
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Q: Is there anything I can do to help?

A: Yes! We are looking for volunteers to help with set up, registration, clean-up, and possibly phone calls this week. If you can help, please email volunteer@parnassahexpo.com.

Q: What do I need to do to attend the Expo?

A: We prefer that you register and let us know you will be joining, to save time at the door. You can do that by filling out the RSVP at www.parnassahexpo.weebly.com or by emailing info@parnassahexpo.com. You should also bring at least a few copies of your updated resume. We suggest that you come dressed professionally, ready to be interviewed.

Q: Is any additional help needed?

A: Yes! Donations and sponsorships to help cover the costs are greatly appreciated. If you are able to make a donation of any amount, please go to https://www.fidelitypayment.com/ learnandnet work/. For more information or to register for Parnassah Expo: Please email info@parnassahexpo.com or call 732.987. 7704.

Its rumored that the Bais Hatavshil goes the extra mile when it comes to the quality and quantity of its

Q: I already have a job, bH. How can I be involved in the Expo?

A: Bring any job openings