There is perhaps no other chesed organization in Bergen County with such a laser-focus on preventing hunger in the Jewish community. Co-directors Sara Walzman and Sara Zilberstein, of Tomchei Shabbos of Bergen County, have worked tirelessly to tend to the needs of those unable to pay for groceries, which is a very basic, yet urgent, need in a demographic that is overwhelmingly known for overflowing Shabbat and Yom Tov tables. The well-calibrated supporting organizational structure for which Walzman and Zilberstein have become known makes it easy for community members to both be identified as Tomchei Shabbos recipients or become volunteers to help it all happen. Representatives from various community shuls often have a night designated for packing or delivering, and many chesed organizations could learn from this lean process of collaboration.
Just so one understands how much work is involved here: All told, Tomchei Shabbos delivers over 10,000 challahs a year, over 31,000 pounds of chicken, over 30,000 pounds of potatoes, over 7,000 bottles of wine or grape juice and over 4,000 pounds of meat.
Tomchei Shabbos was founded to deliver boxes for the recipients to make delicious Shabbat and Yom Tov meals, when they otherwise would not have the resources to do so. Over the last year or two, a demographic has shifted within Tomchei Shabbos; the organization now serves more frum families with large numbers of children. The amount of food required by each family has, thus, increased. Previously, the group delivered boxes to smaller families. This change has been due to general changing demographics in the community as well as increased partnership with other Jewish chesed organizations focused on making sure the needs of community members are met in all aspects.
In addition to serving families with more children, more children have also prioritized their involvement with Tomchei Shabbos over the past year. Middle school students from The Moriah School pack for Tomchei Shabbos after school every week. Rabbi Shimon Kronenberg’s ninth-grade class at Heichal HaTorah also builds boxes with warehouse manager Boris Tollman every single week. Also, many of the community’s children choose Tomchei Shabbos as a recipient of their bar or bat mitzvah projects.
This is likely because children understand what Shabbat meals represent in their own families, and understand how they might feel if their family were not able to mark the Shabbat appropriately. “We are helping more kids and being helped by more kids,” said Walzman.
More growing kids, though, means more food has become necessary. “As the need for assistance for large frum families has increased, our average box size has increased. Additionally, we are adding items to our boxes that would benefit the children more, such as Shabbos afternoon snacks and treat platters,” said Zilberstein.
“Rosh Hashanah and Sukkot, in fact all the Tishrei holidays, are our largest projects of the year, second only to Pesach. We’ve also noticed it’s a high-expense time of year with school supplies, so with families who are struggling it’s that much worse,” said Zilberstein. “People perceive Tomchei Shabbos as being for older people or Holocaust survivors, but they should know it’s shifting in a different direction as the need arises, and we have to shift as well,” she said.
Bina Faber, a parent volunteer at Moriah, has been mentoring a group of Moriah middle school students who have been packing weekly after school for the past six years. “Every Monday morning after davening, the Moriah middle school students rush to sign up to pack for Tomchei Shabbos. They love the sense of community and giving back,” said Faber. “The students realize how fortunate they are and at the same time see firsthand how kol Yisrael areivim ze laze (every Jew is responsible for every other Jew). It’s not just the students; often they bring their parents and their families to see how Tomchei Shabbos thinks about the upcoming holidays and makes sure those who receive the boxes have everything they need.”
“The parents instill in their children the importance of chesed and community, so when the sign-up is posted, the slots are filled up and if someone can’t make it, there are always last minute stand-ins,” said Faber.
Rabbi Shimon Kronenberg, a ninth-grade rebbe at Heichal HaTorah, also discussed how beneficial it is for his boys to help out at Tomchei Shabbos. “For our boys, volunteering at Tomchei Shabbos gives them a unique opportunity to develop a sense of responsibility towards our community. Developing ourselves in this area is extremely important but at times challenging to do from inside a classroom,” he told The Jewish Link.
Walzman made special mention of Tani Glaser, now an MTA student, who has been making boxes for almost five years. “He comes after school weekly. He comes with a friend, Caleb Breda,” she said.
