Chabad of Orange County Aids Sandy Relief Efforts

Under the direction of community member Sima Chana Zelenko of Monroe, Chabad of Orange County organized a relief effort to help some of the hardest hit areas in New York.

Zelenko’s family used to live in Sea Gate, Brooklyn, a community that was devastated by the storm and she personally knows many families who are in desperate need of essential living items.

With the help of Chabad’s Office Manager Bracha Pincus of Chester and many volunteers, a drive was organized to help collect winter clothing, baby clothes and basic necessities.

“Although many places including the Chabad Center in Chester itself was without power, water or heat and people were very selective of driving due to the gas concerns, still, many people opened their hearts and donated what they could,” Pincus said in a press release announcing the efforts. “A special thank you goes out to Stacey Finkelstein of Middletown, Loren Chwan of Warwick, Gabi Cohen of Highland Mills and Rachel Schrank of Goshen for coming to the center and helping organize the donations.”

Many of the items were personally delivered by Zelenko, and many of the items will also be delivered by Rabbi Pesach Burston, director of Chabad of Orange County, as he heads to the International Conference of Chabad-Lubavitch Shluchim being held in Brooklyn over Veterans Day weekend.

In fact, 3000 Chabad rabbis from around the world, who are traveling in to New York for the conference, have collectively, via the Chabad network of centers, reached out to their communities and collected much-needed items that they will each be bringing to New York.

“During these challenging times, we are given an extra opportunity to open our hearts and by our actions to do whatever we can to help others in greater need,” Burston said.