Digging into the cesspit that is the quite frankly ‘Satanic’ world of Islam, can cause a person to develop a jaded and cynical attitude to humanity. Sometimes a bit of cynicism is a good thing but, like too much beer is bad for you, so is too much cynicism.

Anyway, to avoid unnecessary cynicism, here is a good news story for a change. It’s about a man who in his childhood had to beg for food but now has successful businesses and because of that, and donations from others, feeds hundreds of families in Israel.

From the Yiddish newspaper, Voz Iz Neias

“A Jerusalem resident who, due to extreme poverty, was forced as a young child to take on the responsibility of bringing home food to feed his parents and siblings, has spent over a decade on a personal crusade to feed the hungry.

“I was the oldest of thirteen children and Baruch Hashem, my parents worked very, very hard to bring parnassa (a living)home,” Rabbi Yakov Schisha told VIN News.  “The money went for the rent, for schar limud (school tuition) for the children One month we pay the electric and telephone bill, one month not.  When it came to food, there was no money left.  At eight years old, my job was to bring food home.”

Schischa, who lived near Meah Shearim, would go to the shuk and ask for donations from merchants, oftentimes picking up fruits and vegetables that had fallen on the floor and were no longer saleable.

“I went every Friday to Brezel’s bakery to take home the leftover challahs (plaited bread) and mezonos (bread made with a liquid other than water) before they closed,” recalled Schischa.  “In the middle of the week I would go to different organizations to pick up food.”

The wait for food at these distributions was frequently hours long and generally accompanied by pushing and shoving.

“I saw that the family was so happy when I brought food home,” said the thirty year old Schischa, who is now a father of seven. “But I also felt the embarrassment when I would have to stand there for a long time to get food.  I decided that when I was older I would find a good business and I would try to feed a hungry family.”

Schischa got married at 19 and shared his plans to feed another family with his wife just one week after they completed Sheva Brachos (seven blessings recited after marriage).

“I went every day in Shul (synagogue) and collected money, one shekel here, one shekel there,” said Schischa, who used the funds to purchase food for his parents and for a needy family.

“Every week it was one more family.  And then one more family.  And then another,” explained Schischa.

A few weeks later, Schischa received a $1000 contribution that was earmarked for Chanukah oil for the poor.  Schischa bought 200 small bottles of oil which he distributed to needy families, and seeing the happiness the donated oil brought, he started a small organization to help the indigent, doling out supplies for Purim and Pesach.

“I didn’t have a name for the organization yet, but I was just 20 years old and I had Kimcha D’Pischa (helping the poor at Passover) for 200 families.”

Ten years later, Schischa’s small organization has evolved into Tov V’Chesed, which has offices in Jerusalem, New York and London.  Packages are distributed weekly, monthly and for holidays to needy families in various neighborhoods in Israel including Jerusalem, Bnei Brak, Beitar, Kiryat Sefer/Brachfeld and Beit Shemesh.”

To see someone do great works like this is inspiring and helps one to realise that although various places in the world are threatened with a new Islamic dark age, there is still room for faith, love, humanity and the knowledge that a person has a charitable duty to their fellow man.

Links

Vos iz Neias Yiddish newspaper website with the original story

http://www.vosizneias.com/138752/2013/08/14/meah-shearim-israel-inspired-by-his-own-hunger-as-a-child-jerusalem-man-feeds-hundreds-of-families/

Hat tip

Vicious Babushka

http://www.viciousbabushka.com/