Mitzvah Mo wishes everyone a Gut Yom Tov / Chag Sameach!

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Baltimore, MD - Aug 16 - In its eleventh year of motivating people to do mitzvahs--in Baltimore and beyond--O’Fishel Caterers’ latest Mitzvah Motivator project is as innovative as ever. Since its inception, on chol hamoed Pesach, the Mitzvah Motivator Bowling Shoe Gemach has lent out over 1,000 pairs of bowling shoes, as many as 100 pairs in a day, sometimes 30 pairs to a single group. This has become a  project for O‘Fishel Caterers’ general manager, Tzvi Shear, and his family, whose home houses the gemach.

“We’re not only making kugels all day,” says Fishel Gross, owner of O’Fishel Caterers. “We talk about what improvements we can use.”

It was Mr. Shear who brought to Mr. Gross’ attention the fact that the main expense, when going bowling, is the shoe rental.

“My family enrolled in the AMF Kids Bowl Free program which is a great way to occupy kids [16 and under] during the summer, before and after camp,” says Mr. Shear. “Bowling is one of the last wholesome family activities left in America. The problem is that shoes are not included in the program and the cost for a family of seven is about $35 per trip. For a lot of us this would price this activity out of sight, so we searched online for “cheap bowling shoes” and bought shoes for the whole family, which paid itself back after a few trips. When I mentioned this to my boss, Fishel, he thought it was a good deal and I signed up his children, as well. He was shocked at the price of the shoe rental. Together we decided that it would be a great idea to start a bowling shoe gemach, so families could benefit from the free bowling program without spending a lot of money.

I told Fishel, ‘You take care of the financing of the shoes and I will take care of the administration and housing.’”

To find out where to get enough pairs of bowling shoes to support such a program, at the lowest cost, Mr. Gross contacted our local shoe expert, Shirley Rosinsky. She gave him a lead that put him in touch with a bowling supply company in York, Pennsylvania. After Mr. Gross negotiated the purchase of 120 pairs of bowling shoes, the next job was storing, cataloging and organizing them.

“With the help of my children, we moved everything to our basement, erected a shelving unit, organized all shoes by gender and size, and stored them in bins,” says Mr. Shear. “Orders called in by 4 p.m. are ready for pickup from our porch by 9 a.m. the next morning. We try to stick to this policy, but if possible we do on the spot orders, as well. My wife and daughter are in charge of the customer service department--they take the orders and fill out the order forms. My sons and I are in charge of filling orders, returning stock to the bins, and hauling orders out to the porch for pickup.”

Bowling shoes can be reserved by calling the Shears, 410-358-9224.

“Our goal is to motivate others to make their own programs,” says Mr. Gross. “Mitzvah Motivator’s motto is: ‘What have you done for klal Yisroel today?’ Not everyone can be a rosh yeshiva, but everyone can do something to help another yid!’”

The ever-popular Mitzvah Motivator bein hazmanim learning program has involved not only hundreds of children in extra-curricular Torah learning over the past eleven years, but their families, as well. Those who participate are rewarded with an O’Fishel All-You-Can Eat Banquet. The eleventh annual Mitzvah Motivator banquet will be held on Monday, August 29, at the Liberty Jewish Center.