Jerusalem – A heartwarming act of charity was performed by the well known philanthropist Ira Rennert this Pesach. He has donated 10,000 new suits to yeshiva students all over the country, with each yeshiva receiving several suits to pass out to the needy students.
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The initiative was suggested by Mr. Rennert’s rabbi, Rav Aaron Bina, the rosh yeshiva of Netiv Aryeh in the Old City. He had visited Rav R’ Michel Yehuda Lefkowitz, who explained to him the rampant deprivation and penury in the Torah world. He mentioned that in one Bnei Brak yeshiva, they are only giving bread and water for breakfast and supper. The administration also asked the students who could eat at home for Shabbos to leave the yeshiva, because of the yeshiva’s dire economic state.
Unfortunately, the financial state of many Torah families is not much better than this yeshiva’s. The offer of the new suits for Pesach is therefore heartwarming news to many yeshiva students and their families.
Ira Rennert ranks #132 on Forbes Magazine’s list of World Billionaires
Are the suits going to heimshe mosdos?
Tzaddik!!!
very nice. but the article speaks of people needing food. that comes first. sponsor food for yom tov for 10 thousand. again, very nice and act of chesed
I heard he lost about 200 million dollars by the big ganev and he still gives so much
tzedaka than he has a heart of gold, he also donates a lot of crowns for sefer torahs.
The name of the yeshiva is Netiv Aryeh, not Netiv Bina.
He is Rav Mordechai Rennert, Rosh Yeshiva of Derech Chaim in BP’s brother. Lost millions to the Rosho Madoff.
Suits? Really?
While I do believe his heart is in the right place and he certainly deserves credit for his generosity, SUITS?
You find out that yeshivos are serving bread and water to bochrim (a VERY unhealthy diet by the way) and your first thought is “These guys need a makeover!”???
This goes back to the fools who give tzedaka because they like to see their names on things. How about you just send a check, or show up with bags of good, healthy food.
We walk in to buidlings of “charities” and see $200,000 art sculptures in the lobby… always with a plaque (thats cost alone could have a yeshiva for a few days) that says “Generously Donated By Yoyo and Yaya Somethingstein”. Tzedaka starts with helping people in NEED. When all the NEEDS are taken care of, then you can start working on the WANTS. Nobody NEEDS a suit.
Is it possible for him to help these yeshivas start vocational programs so these talmidim will eventually be able to support their families?
truly a tzaddik and this after losing a couple of hunderd million dollers to the GANIF B. MADDOF hashem should bless him and his family l’olim vued (he is a cousin to rabbi mordechai rennert from yeshiva derech chaim in b.p)
show him the respect he deserves. by the way, will they check for shatznez?
no. 5 is right.
They should start training these young men to follow in the path of the tanaaim and be able to earn a living.
Ira Rennert supports kollels/mosdos from Bnei Brak to Golan to Eilat…..he has built many many shuls and mikvaos throught Israel and has donated through Netiv Aryeh over 100 torahs to families who have lost children in terror attacks or service in the army for their respective shuls. May Hashem continue to bless him and his family spiritually and materially
This was a very generous gift. I can understand that if people have threadbare clothing, they need clothes as well as food, and a new suit can be very good for self esteem.
What’s very troubling is the article’s statement that many charedi families are no better off than the yeshiva that can only provide bread and water. Why are things so bad. Is it time to figure out why these families cannot put food on the table? What are the charedi leaders doing about it?
Why dont you all SHUT UP!!! it is his money and he can do what he wants with it. I had enough of all yidden thinking they can decide what is right and whjat is wrong for people to give!!! How do you know if he gives money for food as well or not? STOP IT!!!! be happy we have such beautiful brothers like him and everyo other succesful person who gives so much!!! you are like the guy in R’ Landaus shul who literallly throws the quarter you give him back in your face because he only accepts dollars!!!
PMO… You are an indiot! You don’t realize that Ira Rennert already gives millions to Yeshivas of all type throughout Eretz Yisroel and America. When you get up to Shamayim I’m sure you will receive your share for being Mivazeh possible the biggest baal Tzadaka in the Jewish world. He supports thousands of poor people in Eretz Yisroel. Hashem should Bless him that he should be able to continue to help Klal Yisroel.
The focus of outfitting Talmidei chachamim and their families with decent clothing, reminds me of the Bais Halevi’s comments in Parshas Trumah regarding the Aron. He says that we see that the aron was composed of three boxes within each other, made of gold, wood, and gold. He interprets this homiletically regarding supporting Talmidei chachamim who are the repository for the Torah (the wood = Eitz Hachayim). The scholar surely needs gold on the inside (food), but the Torah is teaching us that he also needs to be adorned/supported with gold for the outside, with respectable clothing and living quarters.
Kudos to Ira Rennert!
Yasher Koach!
P.S. From my personal observation in Yerushalayim, the suits are distributed in an admirable and very respectable manner.
Me keamcha yisrael!
Y do we have to find that bad in everything? He did a huge mitzvah!
Are any of the suits a color other than black?
so the kids eat bread and water but at least they will have a new suit. wow, priorities….
Calm Down!
1, I assume Shatnez will be checked before wearing.
2, Some people need suits, they will be very happy.
My only minor concern is that a few to each Mosod leaves some that would want but do not get, very painful for the non recipient and for the decider of who gets.
I wrote this earlier but it didn’t make it on here for some reason.
I apologize for denying this wonderful man his due for his lifetime of generosity. In making my point I took away from his merit and to him personally, I apologize.
The point I was trying to make was that was that in the same breath we talk about yeshivos that don’t have food for the bochrim, we are talking about donating more material things. We give these things too much attention. I would like to see us give as much attention and honor to an individual who just goes to a market to buy food and brings it over to the yeshiva, or goes to a landlord of a stuggling family and just pays their rent for a month…. or maybe you just write a check to a yeshiva and tell them to take the amount off the tuition bill of parents who are behind on payments…
Again, the lifetime of charity this man has done is undeniable and deserves our utmost respect. My criticisms were about how our culture of materialism takes too much away from the needs of others.
Mr. Rennert has my most sincere of apologies for the way in which I illustrated my point.
I love it when people have tienos on other people’s tzedakah.
Ira Rennert A TON of money, millions upon million, to so many causes around Israel and the US. This is merely a tiny bit of what he has done. A true tzaddik!
This is beautiful. Mr. Rennert, I am a big fan of yours!
Again, I will sincerely apologize… you can read my last 2 posts…
Joseph (#37) Purely on your statement, I am b’n, going to skip the new clothes for myself this Pesach and bring twice as much food to the non-profit convalescent home I support. I’d rather see people have healthy food to eat, and I’ll put my money where my (big and sometimes inappropriate) mouth is.
However, I learned a long time ago that the clothes (black hat, streimel, bekesher… whatever) are just a costume we wear. It is the actions that count.
pmo…..half empty or half full…..i mean your brain
When a person does a chessed, say thank you and stop trying to teach him how to do it to fit your agenda.
When I was a kid we never got new clothes. The yomtov I loved was Pesach. Every year, a certain individual who was not rich by any stretch, would pick up me and my siblings and take us to a store to buy new suits for Pesach. It made me feel like a king and we never forgot his kindness.
Ira rennert lost millions this year including with Madoff. This shows what a big bal tzedaka Mr. Rennert is. Even when he is having hard times considering he was once 132 on Forbes list, he still finds the time to help others.
If we can only see nice stories like this on a daily basis on this site instead of the garbage and loshon hora it would be great!
PMO, I appreciate you have the courage to apologize and correct yourself. Everybody should accept your apology. Kol Hakavod!
Reading these comments, I cannot avoid help wondering how many of them are plain stupid and frivolous. Is this not supposed to be a forum for serious discussion
and well considered comments rather than an outlet for leyzonus, kine and ill-will
and narrow outlook?
HE GIVES AT LEAST 2MIL EVERY YOM TOV TO THE POOR OF EY
Ira Rennert’s house is listed at the largest house in America. What a Chillul Hashem!