Monsey, NY – When noted community activist and educator Rabbi Ronald Greenwald visited Haiti 6 weeks ago, he had no idea that the Haiti he saw was about to be changed forever. Staying three hours outside Port Au Prince, the poverty and desolation he witnessed were so extreme that he felt inspired to do something about it. Upon his return home to Monsey, he scheduled a meeting with members of the Haitian community, to let them know that if they ever wanted to take a delegation to Washington to discuss the extreme poverty in their homeland, he would be happy to accompany them.
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The meeting was scheduled for January 19th.
In view of the tragedy that shook Haiti last week, the meeting was surely divinely ordained.
Approximately twenty five to twenty eight members of the Jewish community, from all walks of life, met with a group of about a dozen members of the Haitian community for a breakfast at Eli’s Bagels, in Spring Valley, New York, home to a many of Rockland County’s Haitian population.
What was originally intended to be an opportunity to get to know your neighbors, ended up being a huge outpouring of support from the Jewish community and a tremendous Kiddush Hashem. Rabbi Greenwald is spearheading a food drive in many of the local Monsey yeshivos to collect canned food and medical supplies and is hoping a local travel agency will sponsor plane tickets so that a delegation can travel to Haiti along with an entire container of donated goods.
Additionally, Refuah Health Center, with the help of Mayor Spitzer, is willing to send a mobile health unit down to Haiti if suitable transportation can be arranged.
Rabbi Greenwald quoted Pirkei Avos saying, “Choviv odam shenivra b’tzelem – every person is special because they were created in the image of G-d. You see such destruction, how can you not be moved by it?”
Kol hakovod!
This is beautiful.
kol hakavod rav ronnie, may you have the koach to keep up your wounderful work, healthy till 120
Press Release Jan.18 2012
Am-Echad today announced an EMERGENCY CAMPAIGN help the victims in Haiti.
Mark Meyer Appel who has been on a speaking tour in south Florida’s Churches and Synagogues lecturing on sex abuse and children’s rights is leading this campaign along with Rabbi Abraham Rice, South Florida’s Director of Am-Echad and Rev. Vilner Eugene of Church of a New Revelation
Rev Eugene is a prominent leader of the Haitian community in South Florida and a Honored Police Officer of the Florida Police Department
Donations and food items should be dropped off at:
Church of a New Revelation
13816 North West 7 Ave
Miami, Fl 33168
Between 11am – 5pm
Please make checks payable to American Red Cross
Food will be airlifted to Haiti on Friday Jan. 23 2010.
Help save lives and the Rebone Shel Olelem will help Klal Israel
“When one saves one life, it’s as if that person saved the entire world” The Talmud
Contact:
Mark Meyer Appel (917) 804-3942
Rev Vilner Eugene (786) 286-3151
Rabbi Rony Greenwald
Will always be rememberd as as a kind & caring savior he deservs to get Nobel Peace prize
Much more than other pepole who got it
Aniyie ircho kudmin just because it’s popular doesn’t mean we have to do the same
I think it’s stupid to have a food drive in yeshivas (besides the fact of chilul hashem if children will not contibute) we should prioritize tzeduke with yidishe kinder
and let R Greenwald use he’s resoursefulness for better things
BTW I understand Refuah health cntr since they r trying to cater to the Haitian peaple
Someone please I beg you enlighten me!!! Why is everyone going crazy about what happened in Haiti??? I understand the magnitude of the disaster, but what happened now that all the jews are getting so excited about?? Are all the yidden in EY and the USA being taken care off are there no poor helpless yidden who need money? doctors, housing etc???.
Enough is enough we don’t have to be politically correct we have our own needs to fulfill let every person considering donating first first pay up his/her tuition bill so are rebbes can put food in thief childrens mouth etc etc
Rabbi Greenwald, Refuah Health Center, Mayor Spitzer you are all so wonderful. To do all this for the Haitian community that is suffering – you are making their suffering your own, feeling their pain, realizing they too were created by the same G-d. What Kiddush Hashem and great inspiration!
We can take for granted all the basic luxuries we have here in the USA – water, food, shelter – what these poor people in Haiti lack. What great way to show gratitude to G-d by helping those fellow human beings that don’t have these basic necessities!
Rabbi Greenwald is right – how can we not be moved by all this destruction! So he is not just talking about it – but doing something about it!
Look at what Israel has done here – had a model field hospital in Haiti run by the Israeli army that was so tremedously impressed by a CNN reporter doing a story about it – she was overwhelmed. Zaka and Hatzalah of Israel also derserves praise for helping save lives there. And in the USA – NY Assemblyman Dov Hikind, Agudah, the OU and other Jewish organizations doing all they can to help save lives of people in Haiti! I as an Orthodox Jew appreciate the help to my brothers and sisters in Haiti.
Why was Ronny there in the first place?what’s in haiti?
Hashem gave Rabbbi Greenwald another life. About 2 years ago, he was almost taken from us and Boruch Hashem, Hakadosh Baruch Hu was kind to him and to the entire Klal Yisroel by giving him more years here. Hashem shoud continue to give him MANY MANY more years. He is someone that the tzibbur desperately needs. He is somoeone that is TOTALLY lsheim shamayim and ready to do anything, literally anything for another person. Although he has slowed down since his scare a few years back, he is till someone with the biggest and most understanding heart. Someone who still does everything he possibly can when other people need help. Hashem should bentch you and your entire family. Hatzlochah raba!
Rabbi Greenwald is amazing. Anybody know which yeshivos are accepting canned goods and medical supplies? I’d love to help!!
Once again a MAN who has compassion for people, a leiv tov par excellence! R’ Refoel (Ronnie) ad 120!
This is not suprising coming from Rabbi Greenwald whose love for every person across every spectrum is such an inspiration. Kol HaKavod to all involved.
Some pople are losing their minds now. We made a kiddush hashem many times already and now asking people to send food to a place which is and can be taken care of by the USA is an outright nerve.
When our fellow jews are suffering to the point that they can’t afford tuition and food on theri table you have alot of chutzpah to even request a dime going to Haiti. We are starving too and nobody gives a damn about us and our fellow yidden.
Tzedaka starts at home and if you don’t understand this then you should leave askanus. Your respect is right out the window. This is an outright avlah what your doing at the expense of yidden. Our own resources are so limited. Do goyim ever bail us out ? Never.
Thank you Vos Iz Neias for these wonderful Kiddish Hashem stories you are posting on your website! You are doing a great job!
Rabbi Greenwald, Refuah Health Center, Mayor Spitzer you are all so wonderful. To do all this for the Haitian community that is suffering – you are making their suffering your own, feeling their pain, realizing they too were created by the same G-d. What Kiddush Hashem and great inspiration!
We can take for granted all the basic luxuries we have here in the USA – water, food, shelter – what these poor people in Haiti lack. What great way to show gratitude to G-d by helping those fellow human beings that don’t have these basic necessities!
Rabbi Greenwald is right – how can we not be moved by all this destruction! So he is not just talking about it – but doing something about it!
Look at what Israel has done here – had a model field hospital in Haiti run by the Israeli army that was so tremedously impressed by a CNN reporter doing a story about it – she was overwhelmed. Zaka and Hatzalah of Israel also derserves praise for helping save lives there. And in the USA – NY Assemblyman Dov Hikind, Agudah, the OU and other Jewish organizations doing all they can to help save lives of people in Haiti! I as an Orthodox Jew appreciate the help to my brothers and sisters in Haiti.
Can someone explain to me why the jews are bending over backwards for these haitins? I understand providing support, but everywhere I read, jews, both individuals and organziations are moblilizing for these Haitians more than I have seen done for Israel. Why is that?
Halachically, where do you draw the line.
I always learned that aniyei ircho kodem (the poor of your city take priority). Have we wiped out poverty among jews in the US that we can run to Haiti, a nation whose voting record at the UN on Israel is probably questionable.
wow i am nauseous from some of the comments made here. seriously??!! before you start dictating where we should give our charity try to fathom thousands of little crying, orphaned children who haven’t eaten in days, bodies piled high and being burnt in order to prevent further spread of infection, i could go on but hopefully all you haters get the picture. This degree of human suffering cannot be ignored! regardless of religion! The disregard of human life displayed in some of these comments is appalling and unacceptables.