New Gmach to Help with the Cost of Tallaisim

We have Gmach’s for wedding gowns, wedding shtick, school uniforms and even baby supplies but very few – if any – that cater to married men. Enter the ‘Tallis Fund’, the brainchild of a local Crown Heights businessman, that offers used clean Tallaisim.

A Tallis is a required prayer item for any married man and can often cost in excess of $100. Shaya Gordon, a local businessman, noticed a trend adopting a new ‘style’ Tallis that is woven in a way that makes it lighter and more desirable by many men. Gordon began asking such adopters “what do you do with you old Tallis?”

The most common replay was that they leave it in a Shul, or in a drawer in their home.

Realizing that most Tallisim left without owners, under a bimah in a Shul, become old, yellow and torn very quickly. Unfortunately, there are many whose Tallaisim are getting old, frayed and even becoming not kosher, but their owners simply cannot afford to replace them.

Enter the Tallis Fund, a Gmach that seeks to collect no-longer-used Tallaisim, clean them, and provide them to those who need them.

Gordon told CrownHeights.info that “Mr. Clean [the cleaners he owns] will professionally clean donated Tallaisim as well as mend them if needed at no charge,” adding that the Tallaisim will then be sized, packaged and wait for its new owner to come pick them up.

If you or someone you know can use a ‘new’ Tallis please have them visit Mr. Clean at 330 Albany Avenue on the corner of Union Street. and pick one up, confidentiality guaranteed.

On the other hand, if you or someone you know has a used Tallis that is no longer is use, please drop them off at Mr. Clean so that they can be made available for others. If you would like to contribute financially to the purchase of completely new Tallaisim you can mail a check – made out to “The Tallis Fund” – to Mr. Clean, 330 Albany Avenue Brooklyn NY 11213, or drop it off in person.

11 Comments

  • Way to go !

    Just wondering , is there a shaitel gemach? (providing u don’t give away ur own shaitel that u should be wearing).

    • CR

      Or a tefillin gemach. A new set of gassos ‘or achas with Alter Rebbe’s ksav for a bar mitzvah can run up to $3000.

  • Kol Hakavod Shaya!

    Chessed done in such a dignified way. It is a chessed to both the giver and receiver. My husband recently bought a new tallis in Heichel Menachem – before he walked out of the store, there were two requests for the old one – which was still in very good condition. Our shul already has a few “loaner” talleisim, as I imagine most do. Great idea Shaya!

  • Aaron

    Great idea! I wish my mind would work in the same way, always thinking of ways to help others.
    I assume that in addition to mending the Talis, the tzitzis are inspected and replaced if necessary.