The scene at Grand & Essex in Bergenfield on Friday, Nov. 22 was one of heartwarming progress: Thousands of customers happily accepted a wearable reflector from Chaverim of Bergen County as part of their ongoing campaign to make sure local pedestrians are protected in the dark. According to Chaverim Chief Solomon Itzkowitz, a total of 2,500 reflectors were handed out in addition to the 10,000+ already distributed, with thousands more to come — all for a critical communal cause.
“There are so many areas in Bergen County that don’t have sidewalks and people end up walking in the street,” explained Itzkowitz. “We have, unfortunately, seen a number of tragedies because of this, and as chief of Chaverim of Bergen County, I wanted to find a solution. I knew something had to be done.”
Itzkowitz launched the campaign to give out free reflectors, thanks in part to a corporate sponsorship from Quality Air Heating & Cooling which kickstarted the campaign with 5,000 reflectors, followed by an additional 20,000. “I went around to the local elementary and high schools, as well as a bunch of shuls across the county, to make sure people had easy access to the reflectors.”
Chaverim’s reflector campaign has been made ever more relevant following a fatality on Cedar Lane in Teaneck on Thursday, Nov. 21. Authorities are currently investigating a hit-and-run, during which a pedestrian was struck and killed near the intersection of Cedar Lane and Lincoln Place. The identity of the victim was disclosed only this past Monday as Bernardita Garcia of Englewood, NJ.
Similar fatalities have occurred in recent years across the county due to low visibility and a lack of awareness from drivers and pedestrians alike. “I ask that everyone please be careful when crossing streets at night and in the rain, and that drivers please drive like your kids live here and stay alert for pedestrians,” said Teaneck Mayor Michael Pagan in a statement following Thursday’s hit-and-run.
Itzkowitz reinforced the sentiment that these fatalities can be combated with improved safety and concern for pedestrians, and reiterated that people can do their parts by wearing reflectors to make themselves more visible to drivers. He shared an anecdote from his morning at Grand & Essex, during which a mother approached him with tears in her eyes. “She told us we were doing a tremendous mitzvah; her son was hit by a car and was not wearing a reflector of any kind.”
And for Itzkowitz, these stories are not uncommon — Chaverim sees all the time just what a simple reflector can do. “I know it’s not the most fashionable look, but a reflector will save your life. We don’t want to wait until tragedy strikes, we need to do something before it does,” said Itzkowitz. “I’m putting my life into this — into preventing the pain that comes when we don’t wear reflectors. It happens more than it should in our communities and we have the resources to make sure it doesn’t. There simply shouldn’t be any tragedy.”
Itzkowitz added that the campaign goes beyond just getting people to wear a reflector; it’s also about encouraging parents, teachers, lay leaders and other authorities to talk about the importance of wearing one. “Chaverim is here to provide whatever an organization or individual may need. We’ll bring it to them and we can show them how to implement it. I’ll do whatever it takes to get the members of this community to wear a reflector and save lives.”
Need a reflector? Chaverim of Bergen County will be regularly distributing them at Grand & Essex Market. For emergencies, contact Chaverim at
(201) 800-4357.
