Amidst the COVID-19 crisis, the Jewish community of Fair Lawn wanted to support both local kosher businesses and the members of the Fair Lawn Volunteer Ambulance Corps by providing sustenance to those serving the community.

A group of Fair Lawn synagogues wanted to say “Thank you” to the FLVAC by providing meals and supporting our local businesses for those members who were on call to support the Fair Lawn community 24 hours a day, seven days a week, rain or shine. These synagogues participated in providing meals for this invaluable team of volunteers: Congregation Shomrei Torah, Congregation Darchel Noam, Congregation Ahavat Achim, Young Israel of Fair Lawn, Anshei Lubavitch Outreach Center and the Sephardic Center of Fair Lawn.

Food was provided by the following Fair Lawn businesses: Kosher Express, Zevy’s Pizza, Mashu Mashu Kosher Sushi Bar, Petak’s Glatt Kosher Fine Foods and Catering, Perfect Pita, Benjy’s Kosher Pizza, Food Showcase and Zadie’s Kosher Bake Shop.

A special thanks to Doris and Lenny Eis for coordinating and delivering all of the meals, food and snacks.

Temple Beth Sholom of Fair Lawn provided additional meals for these ambulance corps volunteers through their Social Action committee and the Kosher Nosh Deli Restaurant & Catering.

The members of the Fair Lawn Volunteer Ambulance Corps are grateful and most appreciative of the support they
received from the Jewish community while helping local businesses during this healthcare crisis affecting so many in the community.

‘Nuf Said

After reading this week’s letters, (“Yeshiva Tuition: A Community-Based Solution” August 13, 2020) it seems that the “community support model” should be focused on (although I would like the AGI model schools to respond to Gershon Distenfeld’s analysis).

That said, as I wrote in a prior letter, the community support model was instituted in 2009. It was called NNJKIDS (Northern New Jersey Kehillot Investing in Day Schools). It’s mission was to explore ways to lower tuition. In 2010, the organization received more than 1,000 donations and distributed more than $300,000 to eight area day schools (Google NNJKIDS for an article). I suggest that the RCBC (which was among the first groups to establish guidelines for us to follow during this pandemic and from which many other groups followed their lead) be the organization to assemble representatives from all the schools, as well as communal leaders, to reinvigorate NNJKIDS.

Although Gershon Distenfeld “thanked me” (“On the Westchester AGI Tuition Assistance Plan” August 13, 2020), I want to acknowledge that he has always been one to back up his words with action, be they financial or communal volunteering, including being one of the driving forces in establishing Yeshivat He’Atid.