Baltimore, MD - Aug. 2013 - It all started with a Silver handled walking cane and a rickety wooden back porch

The family was working the small general store located in a small Southern town when the door jingled and in walked a bespectacled white bearded distinguished gentleman in a long black coat and a large black hat carrying a walking cane with a beautiful silver handle. The storekeeper and his family were delighted to greet their distinguished guest on his once yearly visit going from town to town down south raising funds for the Ner Israel Rabbinical college Of Baltimore. A visit by the charismatic Rabbi Chaim Nachman Kowalsky was a marvelous and an exciting experience. This true  treasure and legend exuded his warm personality and charm and a very special twinkle in his eye to endear all to him. He mesmerized the audience  told them Torah and beautiful stories and he inquired about their children and grandchildren.

Rabbi Kowalsky kept accurate records  on index cards from his past visits on his same mission of past years. They regarded this saintly man as everyone’s Zadie, everybody's grandfather, and a Messiah like figure with an aura of joy and simcha. This talmid chacham could relate to all as he used his torah learning, his keen wit and chein to spread Ahavas Yisrael to all Jews. He accomplished all this and at the same time was being a master fundraiser and pillar of support for the Yeshiva.

I remember as a bochur in the Yeshiva on Garrison Boulevard in 1968 when I first saw this man come into the Beis Medrash. He looked angelic, meticulous and very distinguished. That silver handle on his cane got my attention. When Rabbi Kowalsky entered a room he made a real roshem. Rabbi Kowalsky had two wonderful grandchildren: Rabbi Avraham Kowalsky, and Rabbi Elozer Isbee both graduates of the Yeshiva Ner Yisrael who married and were living in Baltimore. Rabbi Chaim Nachman Kowalsky, zt”l, passed away in 1978.

On a back wooden porch in Northwest Baltimore in 1978 a young newly married couple were busily gathering cans of food for a needy family in the community. Rabbi Boruch Brull had learned in Long Beach and Lakewood and married a Baltimore Bais Yaakov graduate, Chaya Esther Friedman. He was a Rebbe at TA. Both trained in chesed from their wonderful mishpachos and the Brulls were doing their Ahavas Yisrael helping those in need. One family, two families and more in need came to their attention and the back porch was filling up with more and more food each and every week.

Avraham Kowalsky and Elozer Isbee, zt'l, were searching for a project that would honor the memory of their grandfather so they teamed up with the Brull’s to begin a small charity that would be known as “The Rabbi Chaim Nachman Kowalsky Memorial  Ahavas Yisrael Charity Fund Inc”. Strictly run by volunteers with no salaries or offices the charity was run from the Brull and Isbee residences. Attorney Ahron Gibber in 1981 formalized and incorporated the charity into a 501c3 charity. The basic mission was to provide food and basic living essentials for the poor and needy of the Baltimore community. The motto “Let’s make sure they do not go hungry tonight” would be the mantra of this all volunteer group.

A year after the start of Ahavas Yisrael I was approached by Elozer Isbee and Boruch Brull asking me to join them in this charitable effort. You had a Rebbe and an attorney and they needed a businessman. I was already active and working at the Jewish Family Service and asked the then Director of the JFS, Lucy Steinetz, what she thought of my volunteering for Ahavas Yisrael. She encouraged me to join the tiny charity as the community needed much help. At that time Ahavas Yisrael operations had a budget of just over $5,000. Our first financial statement showed a $ 15,000 yearly budget.

Being a volunteer at Ahavas Yisrael is a total family commitment. Mrs. Aviva Isbee and her children and Mrs. Chaya Brull and their family worked together with their husbands as the charity grew. My wife Ronnie began answering calls from day one that I joined the team and has been supporting my involvement for all these years. My children knew from an early age that dad would be very busy working for the klal.

As community demands grew so grew the budget of Ahavas Yisrael. Rabbonim were referring needy congregants to Ahavas Yisrael and the budget grew to $ 50,000 and now has reached $ 1.5 million. Guided by Rabbonim and by a 16 executive Board Member committee, the Charity operates in private homes where volunteers stay networked through computers and phones. The charity used to gather their weekly food delivery on a Pikesville parking lot and years ago through the generosity of the Harry and Jeanette Weinberg Foundation opened a 1,000 square foot Food Pantry on Reisterstown Road. The warehouse stores dry groceries and frozen and refrigerated goods. Non sealed food stuffs and donations from caterers or simchas are distributed by Rabbi Peretz Dinovitz to families in need. Board member Josh Lewis heads our medical referral help line and Dr. Tuvia Blechman and Dentist Dr. Tom Weiss are actively involved in arranging medical help for our clients. Volunteer Nachman Schachter runs the Ahavas Yisrael free loan Gemach.

Hundreds of thousands of dollars are loaned with arrevim guarantors and repaid interest free. Rabbi Mayor Zayon helps coordinate the Ahavas Yisrael Community Shabbos which successfully takes place around Chanukah and is an  important PR and fundraising event for the tzedakah..

Dr. Tuvia Meister, Stuart Schabes and Nechemia Isbee and myself are a financial committee that oversees endowment funds. The Meister family distributes the Purim Card program throughout the city.

Rabbi Shraga Neuberger and Rabbi Moshe Rappaport are other Executive Board members involved in policy and operational decisions. Rabbi Avraham Leventhal would make aliyah and started a Ahavas look alike in his new home town in Israel. Many Tomchei Shabbos organizations in other cities in America have copied and fashioned their programs after the Ahavas Yisrael Baltimore operations.

Recently Ahavas Yisrael has added new and some younger Trustees to the Board. Isaac Wolman, Shraga Goldenhersh, Nechemia Weinreb and Avi Bernstein have all joined the Executive Board.

Finally it is the wonderful community pulpit Rabbonim who really are the ones the Executive Trustees and the Executive Board members report to. Rabbi Brull and I and our entire board meet regularly with Rabbonim and we are constantly being guided by the members of the Vaad Harabanim who ultimately decide all halachic and policy decisions of the charity.

As community demands for services grew, I visited in 1995 with an important advisor and mentor of mine a leader of Klal Yisrael, Rabbi Herman Neuberger. His wisdom and support was always so important and I clearly remember that Ahavas Yisrael meeting I had with him that day. He loved the work of the volunteers of Ahavas Yisrael and he was an advisor and supporter of the tzedakah. I asked him about asking the Harry and Jeanette Weinberg Foundation for support. I vividly remember his most valuable advice he gave me. He told me to write up a short and to the point proposal and to hand deliver it to them on what was then their Charles Street address. Rabbi Neuberger urged me to not to send it FED EX but hand deliver it as Harry Weinberg would appreciate that frugality in not wasting money on unnecessary excessive postage. Remember gas was cheaper in those days! So he told me to deliver it. Well Hashem worked wonders.

On entering the door of the large apartment complex the door man and secretary at the front desk phoned up to the offices of the Weinberg Foundation to inform them that a young man with letter in hand had a delivery for the foundation. The next thing I knew I was sent to the offices of the Foundation and I was seated at a kitchen table surrounded By Nathan, and Willie Weinberg and Bernard Siegel who were trustees of the Foundation. They opened my hand pen written proposal up, gave me some soda and cookies and listened to me explain what Ahavas Yisrael was. They smiled and thanked me for coming and delivering the mail and two weeks later a $10,000 check arrived at the Isbee residence. Wow, we were delighted. The Foundation over the years has been a strong supporter of this cause.

The other thing Rabbi Neuberger told me was to promise him that Ahavas Yisrael would never ever hire an employee. “Strictly volunteer it must always be”. I gave him my assurance and that advice is probably what our supporters like most about Ahavas Yisrael - that most every penny raised goes directly to the poor and needy. That was the way the Isbees and Brulls set it up from day one. We estimate 98.4 % of funds raised goes to the poor with our only expenses as warehouse rent, computers, postage, publicity, and minor operating costs.

In the early days Mrs. Dorothy Krumbein, a”h, and Tony and Yehudis Goldenberg were key volunteers handling the computer and financial operations for the charity. Today Brian Tanen is our in house auditor and key financial person and Janine Chapman is our dedicated bookkeeper and record keeper. This work is a huge task. Nachman Schachter, Tzvi Willner and Stuart Schabes, who is also our in house attorney and legal advisor, are active in day to day operations. Jeff Coleman and Rabbi Yossie Brecher run the food package program every Thursday night. This tremendous effort has Jeff and Rabbi Brecher giving up every Thursday night to this wonderful Mitzvah.  

Marvin Diamond, Howard Kaplan, and Mrs. Judy Scheur are active in Tzedakah collections. They are joined by over 100 volunteers and under the leadership of the Rabbonim and our executive Board in running the entire operation. Ahavas Yisrael helps over 400 mishpachos and individuals each year. We estimate helping 150 aged and over 1800 children each year, all in Baltimore. The Brull’s, together with the Isbee and Schlossberg families serve as Executive Trustees and it is their phones that are called 24/6 by those who seek need or who are letting us know someone is in need. The Brull’s can easily receive over 100 calls a week. Rabbi and Mrs. Brull organize the package routes every week.

I remember many years ago a very concerned Rabbi Brull called an emergency meeting of our Board and key Rabbonim to his home. It was a few weeks before Pesach and our funds were diminished to the point that we were in real financial dire straits without the needed funds to get us through Pesach. We asked the Rabbonim to allow us to launch an emergency appeal to the community to raise the needed funds for Pesach. I was given the responsibility to lead the emergency fund raising effort. I left with a heavy heart very concerned how we would ever raise the needed funds in a timely matter. We never in all our years had called for emergency funds. I didn’t sleep well that night and after shul that morning the phone rang. A wonderful Baltimore attorney Mr. Irv Fishbein, a very active member of Beth Tfiloh and the Orthodox Jewish Council of Synagogues called me to tell me that one of his clients, someone we mamash never knew existed, had made a $ 40,000 charitable bequest to Ahavas Yisrael all on his recommendation. He wanted to know if he should mail the check or if I wanted to pick it up!

I was in his office in 20 minutes where he presented me with the check. We quickly cancelled the emergency campaign. Hashem has rewarded Ahavas Yisrael with much hatzlacha and the community generously supports the chesed of Ahavas Yisrael.

Shabbos and Yom Tovim and emergency assistance

Ahavas goes into high gear for all Yom Tovim and Purim and Chanukah to insure all have a bakovodik and joyous holiday. Thursday night food distribution makes Shabbos special for those in need. Under accountant Jeff Coleman and Rebbe Yossie Brecher this dynamic duo with 15 volunteers and 10 drivers through rain and snow, run the weekly Thursday Night package program. This is a huge commitment on their parts.

Basic living needs as BGE assistance, rent and mortgage assistance are given as emergency needs arise. Debt counseling, mortgage restructuring working with Chai, credit card workouts and networking with Job Link, Mesila, and Jewish Community Services all help clients bounce back from difficult financial challenges. Ahavas Yisrael representatives are constantly conferring with social workers at JCS and working together to serve the community with client approval on many cases. The management teams and workers of these two agencies work well together and Lucy Steinetz in those early years was right in predicting that the community needed both an Ahavas Yisrael and a JCS to accomplish the needed work of our entire community. Networking with Bikur Cholim and Jewish Caring Network/Gevuras Yardein and many other chesed causes keeps Ahavas Yisrael completely up on the towns needs. Ahavas Yisrael attorneys, doctors, dentists, and accountants on a pro-bono basis help many Ahavas Yisrael  clients with challenging circumstances.

Holocaust Food Program

Through a funded program by the Holocaust Claims Conference “Claims against Germany", Ahavas Yisrael through the volunteer efforts of Mr. and Mrs. Marvin Sober, send 72 holocaust survivors food coupons each month.

Ahavas Yisrael Mentor Program

A dedicated volunteer group of accountants and business person volunteers counsel and mentor families even businesses to steer them through this difficult economic environment. One volunteer, Michael Fulda, spends his volunteer time and expertise helping debt restructuring for those in need of debt counseling.

Businesses support our efforts

7 Mile Market gives tremendous support to Ahavas Yisrael with donation scanning at the register and selling Rosh Hashanah, Purim and Mitzvah cards during the year. The Knish Shop, Accents, all the Pizza Stores, Milk & Honey, Pariser’s, Rosendorf Challah, Goldberg’s Bagels, Wasserman& Lemberger, Shlomo’s Meat Market, and other Pikesville businesses are continuously supporting our efforts and many proudly exhibit the Ahavas Yisrael charity boxes collecting tzedakah at the registers. Eastern Savings Bank donates money to Ahavas Yisrael for every new account they open up at their Pikesville branch.

 Here is a report we send to those who wish to know more about Ahavas Yisrael.

Ahavas Yisrael Charity Fund is where your donation go directly to the poor. We are all volunteer. No salaries are paid. No offices or office expenses. This charity probably has the lowest overhead of any charity of its size in Maryland, insuring that all funds are for the poor and needy. The Owings Mills Times, Television Channel 45, and other media have called Ahavas Yisrael “The Stealth charity”. Check our web site, www.ahavasyisrael.org, click here to donate or contact us at eli@ahavasyisrael.org

Ahavas Yisrael has a yearly audited statement and our brochure lists all our 18 executive board members and trustees. We believe and hope that we are exactly what you may be looking for in a partner to help distribute food or funds for Baltimore’s needy and poor. We appreciate the opportunity to inform our donors of the progress and the details and operations of our charitable program.

Our Volunteers and what they do:

We want to give you an update on Ahavas Yisrael Charity Fund. We are an all-volunteer community group of over 150 men, women, teens and even children who deliver food packages or provide food vouchers to over 85 households each and every Thursday night throughout the year. We distribute food or financial help to poor and needy persons primarily in Northwest Baltimore City and county.

Who we help and how we help:

We help many other poor families or needy individuals each week with other financial needs and food vouchers as we find they need assistance. We also pay rents, help to avoid evictions, and work with BGE to avoid turn-off and pay other vital emergency needs for poor persons. We sometimes purchase clothing or medical alarm units or other essential health products and even purchase medicines especially for sick or elderly persons. We occasionally pay for medical treatment if it is not donated by one of our doctors or dentists.

We help needy handicapped individuals with a variety of services. In summer months, we have installed air conditioners for aged or sick people and we have a refrigerator repairman who regularly services the poor and needy with refrigerator, air conditioner and washer dryer repairs. We help many large families and therefore hundreds of children are being helped as well as aged persons who may live alone. Last year Ahavas helped over 400 families with financial assistance. We help all people, all races, colors and creeds, but through the networking of Rabbi’s and synagogues, most of our client base is needy and poor Jewish Baltimore families. We also help many single family-parented situations and aged and elderly persons. We probably help feed well over 600 individuals each week and help over 1800 children yearly. We distribute food coupons to those on restricted diets. We disburse cash grants to the needy for emergency and non-emergency situations and to unemployed persons, and for many other financial problems that arise

Our History and tax status of a 501c3:

We have been operating for over 35 years and our budget is well in excess of over a $1,800,000 per year. We incorporated and received 501C3 status in 1981. Our IRS Tax official name is “The Rabbi Chaim Nachman Kowalsky Memorial Ahavas Yisrael Charity Fund Inc. Tax ID # 52-1219478.

Goals:

Our goal is to give support to the needy during these extreme periods of hardship, and to get them back to financial independence. At this time with the economic times a bit tough for all, we have a great need for more funds to help the many poor and needy. Government cut backs have affected so many especially the needy. Energy costs both gasoline and heating fuel are causing extreme hardships on the needy at this time

Holocaust Survivor Project

We also have a program that helps elderly holocaust survivors with their food needs. We are presently helping 65 elderly needy holocaust survivors each month. We receive a specific grant for this purpose from “The Claims against Germany Holocaust Fund”

The Harry and Jeanette Weinberg Endowment Fund

Ahavas Yisrael has established an endowment fund which is expected to build over the next ten years. This endowment will be used to fund our capital campaign each year, if funds are needed. For a few years to start the endowment the Harry and Jeanette Weinberg Foundation challenged matching grants with a 50% match for new monies raised. This program is no longer available as it was done strictly to launch the fund.

The Paul Pariser Foundation, The Richard and Marian Lowenstein Bridal Fund and the Benjamin Goldberg Widow Fund by Aron and Irene Goldberg, The Sharaby Family Foundation ,The Alvin and Elaine Mintzes Passover Fund, The Barry & Harriet Ray Childrens Fund, Herman & Walter Samuelson Foundation, Yehuda & Anne Neuberger Foundation, The Stewart & Lisa Schabes Foundation, The Harry Sauer Pantry Fund and special funds from the Rubin Family, Schlossberg Family, Lewis Family and Gutman/Gibber Family Funds are all active funds running programs for the charity. Recently the Esther Lefkowitz Clothing Fund and the Joyce Price Shoe Fund have been added programs.

Ahavas Yisrael is proud that Mrs. Chaya Esther Brull is a graduate of the Weinberg Fellows Program, a training and development program for young future charitable community leaders.        

Operations: 

We are reachable 24 hours a day with 3 phone numbers that we advertise to the public for emergency help. We work very closely with other agencies and our volunteers meet with these agencies, social workers or counselors on a regular basis to help our clients. We help find jobs for the unemployed and have volunteer accountants and lawyers, dentists and doctors helping our clients regularly.

Food Pantry:

We operate a 1,200 square foot food pantry located on Reisterstown Road, Baltimore Maryland 21215. We assemble our food packages weekly in our one thousand square foot warehouse with a 200 foot preparation area and food is stored in freezers, refrigerators, and shelves are filled with food. From this food pantry we provide for our weekly food deliveries. The warehouse is inspected each year by the Maryland Food Bank from whom we purchase food, and we have received yearly grants from Poverty Solutions and the MEFP, Maryland Emergency Food Program, a State of Maryland agency.

We purposely keep a very low profile

Our client’s dignity is most important and our very low profile is kept in an effort not to embarrass our clients. We have collection poor boxes in supermarkets, many businesses, restaurants etc. We have virtually, no, I mean very minimal overhead. Even our postage is donated in part. We have yearly audited statements.

What expenses do we have?

These expenses are printing, banking, accounting, postage, and warehouse rental costs. Our board and staff are strictly working as VOLUNTEERS and we are committed to never pay a salary.

Limited publicity to keep the dignity of our clients:

We truly are a miracle organization and Channel 45 and local newspapers refer to us as the STEALTH CHARITY. About eight years ago Channel 45 did a story on us, and newspapers will once in a while do a story, but we never encourage it. We have been called the “stealth “charity and that’s the way we want it. 

 We are fully computerized with a network of personal computers in five private homes operating our operations.     

  Sincerely,

Eli W. Schlossberg, Trustee       Rabbi Boruch Brull, Trustee     Mrs. Aviva Isbee, Trustee

410-358-4464                                410-358-7975                              410-764-6020

For additional Information call Eli W. Schlossberg at 410-358-4464 or e-mail me at  eli@ahavasyisrael.org   Please check our web page and donate on line www.ahavasyisrael.org 

Unfortunately the magic personality of Rabbi Chaim Nachman Kowalsky, zt'l, and the chesed passion of Elozer Isbee, zt'l, leadership are not physically present at this time. However, their actions continue both in their family’s commitment to chesed and to all the volunteers they inspired to follow in their footsteps. From the silver handled cane and from the Brull wooden back porch the Isbee/Kowalsky/Brull mishpachos, the Founders of Ahavas Yisrael have been joined by so many to make Baltimore a true makom Chesed. My family has been so fortunate to be included in this chesed and have had the zechus to be involved in this effort of true Ahavas Yisrael.         

The original version of this article appeared  in the Where What When