Bring Simchas Hachag to every Home - Vaad harabanim : Vaad harabanim Bring Simchas Hachag to every Home - Vaad harabanim

Bring Simchas Hachag to every Home

8/2/5777 29.03.2017

That’s what happens when you pay attention.

BING! you realize what the problem is, because the same point keeps hitting you again and again in different ways.

Clothes. They are just too expensive for large families with small incomes. We are not talking about keeping up with the Joneses or the Goldsteins. We are just talking about not looking like a beggar from  a children’s book.

RavGerelitz, the founder and manager of Vaad Harabbanim’s massive clothing sales, was the one who had this moment of Eureka.

He noticed how so many of the support applications coming into Vaad Harabbanim mention clothing as an issue. Whether it was a bar mitzvah, or a wedding, or a chag, or maybe just getting the children ready for winter – buying clothes was a constant challenge.

Like all great ideas, it’s pretty obvious once you realize it.

But he didn’t just realize it; he did something about it.

Doing Something About It

 

So you wonder what Vaad Harabbanim is up to, what do they do, besides nudging you into a donation, and then distributing every penny of it as soon as it comes in?

It is all about money?

Isn’t there more to life?

Yes, there is. For instance, there is matzah. Every year, Vaad Harabbanim gets a zillion tons of matzah baked, under the strictest possible Rabbinical supervision, and sells it to families in low income brackets at a ridiculously cheap price. This way, people can actually afford to eat matzah, and without sacrificing the level of kashrus in any way.

At Sukkos time, there is the great arba minim distribution, which so many thousands of people benefit from and totally depend on. The prices are more than unbeatable, and the quality is great.

And then there is clothes. Vaad Harabbanim sponsors mass clothing sales. These salestravel from neighborhood to neighborhood and city to city, providing clothing for families in low income brackets.

Some people, the really needy ones, arrive at the cashier clutching in their hands vouchers issued by Vaad Harabbanim, and they give in the vouchers instead of paying with money.

The rest of the customers benefit from absurdly low prices.

How does RavGerelitz do it?

He gets suppliers and manufacturers to provide quality merchandise from good brands – no junk is for sale here – at cost price or less. Sometimes there are tiny defects, of the kind that no one really cares about, but still, it can’t fetch the retail price. Sometimes, a vendor would prefer to donate merchandise instead of money, as his tzedakah. This could be for mitzvah reasons, or tax reasons, or both.

And there are other ways that RavGerelitz utilizes. He is a mysterious man. Maybe he has a magic wand or something. But he sure gets those clothes for cheap!

These massive clothing sales take over huge floor spaces, for instance, they will make use of a local reception hall, or a bigger, more central hall, closer to city center.

It must be mentioned that these sales are for men’s and children’s clothing, and this is for good reason: the ladies have very individual taste in apparel, and a wider span of sizes, andmore of an eye for fashion. It’s just not going to work if we bring them a generic pile of clothing. Whereas the men, theypretty much wear the same clothing, in the same colors and styles, every season and every year. They are easier to please, at least as far as clothing is concerned.

So these sales are really amazing. They are head to toe, but literally.You gotta see it to believe it. Good quality hats are for sale, in all standard sizes, and decent socks and nice shoes – and everything in between! That means suits, shirts, ties, belts, whatever the people wear, that’s what’s there.

Of course, even after RavGerelitz’s magic efforts to get good merchandise for dirt cheap, there are some expenses to cover. The equipment, the transportation costs, the sales people – yes, there is overhead. Same goes for the arba minim distribution, and the matzah sale.

That’s why we are telling you all about this. We want you to know where your money is going. You make these fantastic things possible! These wonderful services that you provide change the face of Jewish society, without any exaggeration!

You donors are simply amazing!!!

So keep up the good work, and make it happen this year as well. The Jewish people needs you.

It’s called Kimchad’Pischa. Donate now, and be blessed.

SLAIDER_PESACH_USA_5777_001

It’s called Kimchad’Pischa. Donate now, and be blessed.