The Teaneck Costume Gemach began one day with Racheli Finkelstein deciding it was time to gather all the costumes in her attic and let others benefit from them as well.

Starting out with only 70 costumes, the gemach grew to hundreds of costumes lent out each year not only for Purim, but for class plays, school productions, mitzvah clowning and color wars, and have been m’sameach many chassanim and kallot.

Almost seven years later, the gemach now joins Chai Lifeline’s Camp Simcha costume closet, where campers use the costumes to dress up for the daily theme.

As the funds from the gemach supported i-Shine, a project of Chai Lifeline, it is fitting that the costumes have been donated to this program. “This year, I had the opportunity to be involved in i-Shine as the program coordinator, and witnessed firsthand the impact that our donations had on the lives of children who are experiencing illness and loss in their families,” said Finkelstein.

Thank you to the countless volunteers who helped out in the gemach throughout the years, including students from schools such as Bruriah High School and RYNJ who helped modernize the gemach.

Although the Eliyahu Aharon Ben Yaakov Eliezer z”l gemach will no longer operate in Teaneck, i-Shine welcomes continued support, https://www.chailifeline.org/ishine

To borrow costumes, please contact Rivki Rosenthal at the Keter Torah Costume Gemach at [email protected].