Miami Students Learn from Rabbi Akiva to Help Others

With many students’ homes still without power, internet and many under boil water restrictions after Hurricane Irma, one would think they’d be inclined to focus on their own problems. Certainly one would give them a pass for doing so and not worrying about others. But that’s not how the Lubavtich Educational Center in Miami works, or how it educates its students.

Rabbi Akiva lived an extremely poor life, with only straw for him and his wife Rochel. After she remarked how little they did have, his message was “we have straw – others might not even have that.” With that came a knock on the door with a shout of a poor man begging for straw for his wife to comfortably give birth. Whatever predicament we are in, we can still give to others in ways they are lacking.

The Chabad Shluchim of Bonita Springs and its entire community were in need of Shabbos meals, and so LEC’s kitchen Staff, led by Menachem Kozlovksly, and elementary boys and girls got to work. Not skipping a beat, Erev Shabbos was filled with hustle and bustle as meals for over 200 people we prepared and sent by car with Kaleiv Freedman over to the grief stricken area on the west coast of Florida.

Rabbi Benjy Korf, headmaster of the Lubavitch Educational Center, additionally positioned resources in place to prepare a complete Shabbos meal for any of the 250 plus staff members of the Lubavitch Educational Center still without power. Shayna Bortunk and Ayelet Bortunk, who led that effort, worked tirelessly through the day ensuring all families had food for Shabbos.

Boys and Girls in Grades 6 and 7, at separate times, helped invaluably with packing, wrapping and loading in order that the food should arrive on time.

A true expression of Ahavas Yisroel – which certainly made Rabbi Akiva proud!