Top Rabbi Secures $3 Million for Needy Families at Exclusive Fundraiser
Translated & summarized from Kikar HaShabbat by baba
Rabbi Moshe Sternbuch hosted an exclusive fundraiser requiring $500,000 donations per attendee, raising nearly $3 million to support needy families in the rapidly expanding Ramat Beit Shemesh Dalet neighborhood. The funds will ensure holiday distributions for all residents amidst the city's growth.
The story in 5 lines · by baba
- Rabbi Sternbuch hosted a $500,000 minimum donation fundraiser.
- Nearly $3 million was raised for needy families in Ramat Beit Shemesh Dalet.
- The funds address the strain caused by rapid neighborhood expansion.
- Rabbi Sternbuch personally appealed to select wealthy donors.
- The event included prayer and thanksgiving for the philanthropists.
A unique fundraising event was held at the residence of Rabbi Moshe Sternbuch, a prominent halachic decisor, on the eve of the Day of Atonement. The event, described as a "boutique, historic, one-of-a-kind" gathering, required attendees to donate a minimum of $500,000 each. The substantial funds raised, totaling nearly $3 million, were specifically designated to aid residents of Ramat Beit Shemesh Dalet, a rapidly growing neighborhood in the city of Beit Shemesh.
The urgent need for funds arose due to the massive expansion of Beit Shemesh, particularly the Ramat Beit Shemesh Dalet neighborhood, which now houses over ten thousand families. This influx of new residents strained the resources of local charitable organizations, forcing them to consider drastically reducing aid to existing residents or completely cutting off support for the new ones.
Faced with this crisis, senior rabbis from Beit Shemesh approached Rabbi Sternbuch for guidance. After deep consideration, Rabbi Sternbuch personally took responsibility for ensuring aid reached the new residents of Ramat Beit Shemesh Dalet. He then contacted a select group of his close associates and wealthy philanthropists, appealing directly for their support.
Responding immediately to Rabbi Sternbuch's personal plea, these philanthropists established an emergency fund of approximately $3 million. This fund was crucial in ensuring that holiday distributions could be provided to all families in Beit Shemesh, including the new residents of Ramat Beit Shemesh Dalet.
In gratitude for this significant act of charity, Rabbi Sternbuch convened the donors at his home on the eve of the Day of Atonement. The gathering, focused on prayer and thanksgiving, honored the major contributors. Also present were members of the Beit Din (rabbinical court), including Rabbi Natan Kupschitz, Rabbi Shmuel Berensdorfer, and Rabbi Shimon Yitzchak Schleizinger, along with influential figure Rabbi Yehuda Deutsch. Together, they prayed for the donors' continued success, health, and prosperity, and for the annulment of any harsh decrees.
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