Chesed Center Reopens After Being Shut by Mesirah
The hungry and needy of Crown Heights were once again welcomed to partake in nutritious warms meals at the Ahavas Chessed soup kitchen today after a long hiatus. The Chessed center has been closed for a couple of months by the city, after a series of anonymous complaints that renovations were being carried out without a permit.
Today, thanks to the generosity of Yosef Yitzchok and Batsheva Popack, the brand new state-of-the-art kitchen and refurbished eating area were once again opened for those who rely on the helping hand of Ahavas Chessed.
When asked about the mesirah that shut down the Chessed center for a couple of months, director Rabbi Avraham Lieder told Crownheights.info said that he faced similar opposition in the early days after he founded the organization, and he took his woes to the Rebbe. The Rebbe’s responded firmly that he should just continue what he was doing without pause, and it should be done in the ways of peace and tranquility (B’darchei Noam Uv’Darchei Shalom). “Since then,” says Rabbi Lieder, “I have become deaf and blind. Deaf to criticism and blind to negativity; I only look forward and continue with my work, trying to reach out to as many needy people as possible.”
Ahavas Chessed is an organization that specializes in Chessed with dignity. The premises look more like a restaurant than a soup kitchen, and anyone in need can step in from 5:30 to 7:30 PM and will be served a delicious hot dinner in a comfortable and dignified setting.
As a non-profit organization, Ahavas Chessed needs all the help in can get – not just with money, but with volunteers who can take some time out of their day and help out. If you wish to partake in this tremendous mitzvah please email ahavaschesed1@gmail.com.
ch Resident
Rabbi Lider Keep Up The Great Work .
community member
Such a shande that someone would masser at all especially on Ahavas Chessed. I donate quite often blood there and it was an eye opener to see on a recent visit to the hospital a patient receiving blood from a bag intravenously. It really hit home the importance of Rabbi Leider’s blood drives.
Here we go again!
Mendy Hendel just opened up the Ashel Hotel for simchos, my bet is he found Rabbi Lieder a threat of some sort, G-d forbid anyone stand in his way of making a dollar.
Common cents
I know it will be difficult for you people to accept, but sometimes “messirah” is a mitzvah. Two days ago in Rechovot 5 children and their father burned to death because of the “shack” they lived in built without municipal permits. Building permits are for the safety of the inhabitants and neighbors. I know that it is not in the head of CH people but it is a question of pikuach nefesh. This is not beaurocracy to make life difficult for those who want to do chesed. It is easy to to say “hakol mishamayim” and do anything you want. Hurray for the moiser in this case.
Friend of Rabbi Lieder
The moiser did a mitzvah to my friend Rabbi Lider. Like comment 4 astutely points out, violating Dept. of Buildings rules and regulations and renovating without permits are illegal and violate halacha by putting people needlessly at risk (illegal construction work cuts corners…). In addition to the Rechovot tragedy, 1 or 2 construction workers were killed just a few days ago uptown…
to 4, and 5:
if you truly cared, you would not moser. period. dont cover up your evil deeds with riteous excuses. you are false. if that family was living in such sad conditions, than maybe you should have helped them build something decent, dont blame them for their sorrows- thats being blind, insensitive and plain wicked.
G-ds right hand man
My bet is one step backwards leads to two steps forward, especially when it helps so many !
It isn’t only the needy ahavas chesed helps !
Kingston avenue is a good place and there should be enough agreement for all to benefit from an eishel !
Hashlem ze habinyan
The NY building codes are often arbitrary and ridiculous and serve mainly to preserve the interests of an entrenched Mafia of licensed plumbers, electricians etc. A good crew of hard-working immigrants can often build and do repairs far better than these licensed guys can.
It is a far cry from improper permits in NY to what goes on in EY, which is a very corrupt society, similar to post-Soviet Russia, where anything can be built with the proper bribe.
The moiser only denied those who were hungry a place to eat for a few months.
Common cents
Sorry No. 6 but your comment is simply stupid. I live in Beer Sheva and do not know what goes on in every back yard in Rechovot. Secondly this family was not poor; the mother was a teacher in a girl’s school, the father owned an optometry store in Beer Yaakov. They owned a house in Beer Yaakov and were in the process of building a home in Rechovot. They were temporarily living in the 1 and a half room shack in the yard next to the mother’s parents home. They made a mistake. The issue is not blame. Building codes are there for everyone’s safety. Of course there is corruption, of course special interests sometimes influence the clauses (to answer No. 8). So what? Basically building codes should be observed because they are there to keep you safe. But in the frum community they are often ignored. We have bitochon. About a month ago there was a fire in an old age home in Bnei Brak whose license had been revoked because of many fire code violations – the place was a fire hazard. B’chasdei shamayim there were no fatalities, only 8 zkanim wound up in the hospital. To often do I hear instances like this. The slogan: “I’m frum, nothing the goyishe (zionist) government says I should do is relevant; they can stuff it.”
There are consequences!