(Courtesy of Anshe Chesed of Linden) On Wednesday, August 21, Anshe Chesed of Linden was honored to host its Annual Ziga Roshanski Mikvah Event, an event created to connect local women in support and celebration of a vital resource to the Linden Jewish community.
The event began with a pop-up shop featuring frum clothing brands presenting fashionable and modest clothing. Maya’s Place, Daniella Faye, Nicsessories, Impact Fashion and Timeless Jewels were all kind enough to donate 10% of their sales at the event to the mikvah, and Junees generously donated all sales from the event to the mikvah.
Volunteers of all ages from shul got involved, whether it was to set up the delicious refreshments table, staff the try-on rooms or process purchases.
The highlight of the event was the stirring speech by Maya Namdar, founder of Maya’s Place. As all were seated, Namdar spoke about her strong relationship with her grandmother. When her grandmother fell ill, she made a deal with God: “You get her through her emergency surgery, and I will wear skirts.” Her grandmother made it, and Namdar kept up her end of the bargain. As their deal kept getting longer and longer, Namdar’s relationship to clothing changed, and after her frustration at being unable to find modest clothes to her taste, she decided to use her experience in the family clothing business to make herself some skirts. Her friends liked what she was wearing, and as they say, the rest is history, and Maya’s Place was born.
Namdar also spoke about her teenage daughter and her tragic passing, but shared an inspiring action her daughter had taken while she was alive to stay modest. She spread this story in the hope that her daughter’s actions will inspire others.
The speech was moving, and audience members flocked to speak with her afterwards. Many attendees remarked, “Maya’s words were exactly what I needed to hear.”
The community is grateful to the generous vendors and volunteers who made not only this event possible, but who also make the mikvah operations possible, day after day. May you go from strength to strength.
