Of all the women who lived in the early 1900s, one of the only ones we know about is Sarah Schneirer, who she saw a need and created a revolution that changed the world.
Here is a
description of what she did from the book Rebbetzin
Vichna Kaplan, by Rebbetzin Danielle Leibowitz (Feldheim). Rebbetzin Kaplan
was a student of Sarah Schneirer and brought Bais Yaakov to the United States
after WW II: “Sarah Schneirer took all her life experiences – that of being a
Jew among gentiles, a seamstress serving customers, a student at the feet of a
teacher, a self-motivated seeker of truth – and melded them together. She
returned to Cracow, looked around her beloved town and saw that what had begun
before the war was only getting worse. The antireligious movements were
stronger, the pull was greater, and the danger to the Jewish people was
unfathomable…. She began a campaign that would change the face of klal Yisrael,
one girl at a time…. She began with little girls…. She began her daily lesson
every day with the same words, ‘Maidelach, remember – I always stand
before the Heilege Bashefer (G-d), and He sees everything that I do, and
hears everything that I say, and he writes everything in a book.’ She created a
revolution that we carry on today.”
Nobody who lived
at that time would have thought that an unmarried seamstress could have such a
powerful impact on society, but from our position over a century later, we are able
to look back at the past and know the truth.
The world has
changed in many ways since Sarah Schneirer lived, but we still have problems –
although different ones – and, luckily, we have people who are working to solve
them. Here are some of the organizations that have been formed to help men and
women here in Baltimore. Perhaps one of them will create another revolution.
A Single Impact
A
Single Impact is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization that was created to
provide resources, networking, and advocacy for frum singles, divorcees, and widowed men and women in Baltimore.
While many singles organizations involve shidduchim,
very few acknowledge the day-to-day challenges that many singles face. A Single
Impact provides a space for singles to be comfortable within the larger frum community.
A
Single Impact has networking events and serves as a nexus for referrals for
personal and professional contacts. They help to match up guests and hosts for
Shabbos seudos and coordinate with
shuls to assist with seats for the Yomim Tovim. They have a weekly Parsha and
Pizza and a twice yearly clothing sales of brand new or gently used clothing,
as well as other events and initiatives. Rochel Ziman, Executive Director, and
Shoshi Glazer, the Director of Operations, are also available to help members
who are dating, as well as connect individuals to other resources in the
community. More information can be found on their website, asingleimpact.com, or by
contacting them at contact@asingleimpact.com.
The Shidduch Center
Rabbi Shlomo
Goldberger, director of the Shidduch Center, explains that “The mission
statement of The Shidduch Center of Baltimore is to create and facilitate
dating opportunities for Baltimore’s single men and women, and, of course, it
is equally our goal to help guide and support daters and their families as they
navigate their time in shidduchim. Be
it through the wonderful team of dedicated shadchanim
in our employ; our Meet the Shadchan events for single women; our visits to
yeshivos across Baltimore, NY, and NJ to meet bachurim; our educational classes and chizuk shiurim; our personal and individualized meetings with
daters and parents; and our website full of resources, it remains our goal not
only to create more dates and engagements for our daters, bez’H, but to be the place where all community members can feel
comfortable and secure reaching out for all of their shidduch-related needs.”
Spectrum
Spectrum is an
acronym for Support People Experiencing Crisis based on a real understanding of
mental health. I spoke to Zeecil Gholian, who explained their program’s goals.
“Our goal is to provide support for a family when one of their members is
experiencing a mental health crisis. We can help with meals, carpools, and
support the children in the family. We try to customize our help based on the
needs of the individual family.” For more information about this organization,
go to www.spectrummd.org.
Chazkeinu
Chazkeinu is an
international organization that also deals with mental health, specifically for
women. According to Zahava List, the director of the program, it is a mental
health peer support network for Jewish women. They have a website, www.chazkeinu.org,
and can be reached by phone at 314-346-7414 or by email at info@chazkeinu.org. They have programs and
projects to strengthen and empower women and their female family members who
are struggling with a mental illness. They have phone and Zoom support
meetings, Shabbatonim and retreats, partner programs, a non-emergency
support hotline, and a weekly chill house in Baltimore where they get together to
do recreational and therapeutic activities.
Sister to Sister
Sister to Sister is a
comprehensive resource and support network for Jewish divorced women. It
strives to create a community that respects divorced women, cares for them, and
wants them to be independent and successful. The organization provides support for
children, resource referrals, and financial and job counseling. The founder of
Sister to Sister, Anne (Chani) Neuberger says, “We dream of creating a network
of sisters. Sisters never keep score. Sometimes one gives, sometimes one
takes.” The Sisters become a lifeline for each other. Each divorced woman has
a married volunteer sister who becomes an advocate for her. Sister to
Sister is an international organization. According to their website
sistertosisternetwork.org they serve 1,800 women and 3,000 children. More
information can be found by watching videos on
causematch.com/sistertosister.
Zisel’s
Links & Shlomie’s Club
Zisel’s Links & Shlomie’s Club supports children and teens who have lost
a parent, with members from over 50 communities across the U.S., Canada,
Europe, and English speakers in Israel. Our base of operations is in Brooklyn,
with local branches in Baltimore, Chicago, and LA.
Our programs include (but are not limited to) therapy funding and
referrals; case management; bar and bar mitzvah gifts; chassan/kallah services;
financial, legal, and tax guidance; as well as a bi-annual distribution of gift
cards to assist with holiday expenses. The children we serve gain encouragement
and valuable peer-to-peer support via annual weekend retreats and several
events throughout the year, as well as targeted publications for each age
group.
As members of the Zisel’s Links
& Shlomie’s Club family, grieving children and teens know they’re never
alone. They know their feelings are normal – and so are they. They know there
are people out there who get what it means to lose a parent. By surrounding
them with a loving community of people who understand them, our members find
the support, encouragement, and tools they need to process their grief and grow
into the strong, emotionally healthy adults they eventually become.
For more
information, please contact Baltimore Branch leaders Zevi Daniel 410-746-3819
for Shloimys Club, and Sarah Ottensoser 443-326-1466 or Judy Landman 410-733-6171
for Zicel’s Links.
Mom to Mom
Have you ever
heard of a Souper Mom? Well, neither did I, until Rena Baron introduced me to
the concept. Rena and her sisters are passionate about supporting stay-at-home
mothers. They want to help young women who are raising families on their own
without the support of their extended families. They created this program in
the zechus of a refuah shleima for Rena (Rena Esther bas Yaffa
Gita). Right now, the program has three parts.
The first is
called Souper Mom. When a woman prepares soup for her family, she can prepare
one portion and send it to her neighbor or friend who may be feeling
overwhelmed. That small gesture is very meaningful to both the giver and the
recipient. Rena has five sisters who live in various communities. They are
running the Souper Mom program all over the country.
The second part of
the program is a Mommy and Me get together held every week, on Thursday
mornings. The program is completely free and is run by volunteers. They do fun
activities like bubbles, parachutes, and songs with actions. There is plenty of
time for the mothers to socialize and make friends.
The third part of
the program is called Borrow a Bubby. This is still in the process of formation,
but the idea is to match up older women whose families are already grown with
young mothers who are desperate for help.
Rena is passionate
about creating support for young mothers; her mission is to encourage mothering
and mothers. “I want to support people who are living regular lives but are
struggling on their own.”
Nismach Maryland
As the
organization’s name implies, Nismach is a group that encourages
happiness. It is patterned after the international group, Samchainu, [spelling??] which
supports over 2,700 widows throughout the world. The activities are uplifting
and fun with the intention of reminding the participants that even though their
husband has died, they need to continue seeking happiness and enjoy life.
Margie Pensak
Steinberg, who is active in the organization, says, “I was thrilled when
Stephanie Savir Perlman founded Nismach Maryland eight years ago, affording
Maryland almanos the opportunity to
experience some of the same fun, meaningful, therapeutic activities as their
Samchainu ‘sisters’ who primarily reside in the New York area. Having attended –
and reported – on the annual international Samchainu Shabbaton for WWW, I realized the major impact a
similar local Shabbaton and other activities can have for Marylanders.”
There is a story
in the gemara about a sage who was walking with Eliyahu Hanavi in the
marketplace. Eliyahu Hanavi pointed out two men that would have a portion in
the world to come. The sage approached the two people and asked them what they
do. He wanted to find out what made them worthy of the world to come. The two
men said, “We are comedians (badchanim),
cheering up those who are depressed, and whenever we see two people involved in
a quarrel, we strive hard to make peace between them.” (Taanis, 22a)
It is probable
that the men and women in our community who have created these organizations to
help people whom others have forgotten, to make sad people happy, and find
companionship for lonely people are also destined for a great portion in the
world to come.
I have only
mentioned some organizations that exist. If you run an organization that you
would like others to know about, send us a letter and perhaps we can print it
in a future edition.
