A sizable number of volunteers participated in the annual Tomchei Shabbos of Queens (TSQ) volunteer appreciation night held on Monday, August 22. This year, due to recent orders filling up their warehouse, TSQ held the event in the Simcha Hall at Bais Yaakov Academy of Queens in Kew Gardens. The program included an inspiring lecture by noted orator Rabbi Y.Y. Rubenstein, and a remarkable performance by seasoned juggling professional Michael Karas (@nycjuggler), table magic by Yoel Spielman, and of course included an array of delectable fleishig options, along with copious amounts tasty sushi.
As an invited guest, I wanted to bring to readers the passion of the volunteers. My first encounter was with Forest Hills resident Leon Vales who has been a regular helper at pantries like Commonpoint, and Beth Gavriel. “I have been very successful at repurposing Kosher meals,” explained Vales. “From dried goods to canned items I come into contact with to leftovers from distributions like the one held here at Bais Yaakov, I find needy families who can benefit from these available foods.” Vales usually brings five boxes with sometimes up to 300 lunch meals to TSQ to be included in weekly distributions. During the pandemic, Vales was hard at work on a near daily basis bringing food to those who could not be outdoors.
TSQ operates on grants, the generosity of organizations, but more importantly from donations from readers like yourself. Rabbi Shmuel Gold of the Queens Jewish Center in Forest Hills has been making monthly donations to TSQ since 1978, the year of inception. “I am not sure if my pledge was $5 or $20, this was a considerable donation in those days, so I went with $20 and continued each month,” said Rabbi Gold. “Eventually I adjusted the figure for inflation and proudly continue my effort in donating monthly to the worthy cause of Tomchei Shabbos serving our community.”
David Shakamoroff has been volunteering for a few years together with his cousin Aaron Samuels also of Forest Hills. Together they deliver packages to needy homes spanning the gamut of Queens neighborhoods. “I volunteer for various organizations in the area, and I feel that my time is well spent Wednesday evenings here at Tomchei where I always return home with fulfilling warm sentiments.”
Moe Harary of Shimon‘s Pizza on Main Street has been delivering fresh pizza pies to the Wednesday night crew. “The efforts of the volunteers and staff at Tomchei is commendable. As a small endeavor, I set aside leftovers from my shop to be distributed to needy homes,” said Harary. “Nothing should go to waste.”
TSQ would not be able to operate without the dedication of the Katz family who operate as a father-son team. As readers we do not see the daily efforts involved. Morah Gittel Katz who has been working alongside her husband since their marriage gave us a hint of an inside look saying, “My husband is busy day and night working to give the Tomchei clients the best experience. Aside from his limud Torah schedule, there is the planning, orders, and bills of the powerful organization that must be attended. That and more is the work of my husband.”
“Michael the performer was really good at wowing both children and adults with his fantastic acts,” said Yoel Spielman, an up-and-coming frum magician who gave of his time to do table magic with the volunteers. “It felt so good to sit in the audience and not be on stage for a change. I too got to see smiles and that wow moment as I interacted with the wonderful Tomchei helpers.”
Rabbi Katz extended a special appreciation to Rabbi Simcha Noble and Rabbi Yosef Chaim Cohen who graciously opened the auditorium at BYQ and went above and beyond to accommodate the neighborhood pantry.
By Shabsie Saphirstein
Tomchei Shabbos Of Queens Says Thanks
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