Monsey Chesed Group Joins Event

An inspirational evening for women was held in Monsey, NY, benefiting the local Shifra and Puah organization.

The event, an evening of achdus for body and soul, featured Ani Lipitiz of the Geula Vision website and founder of the Daily Tanya Inspiration WhatsApp group, who spoke to the group about Tanya perek lamed beis. She also spoke about chessed and how powerful it is to perform acts of kindness towards each other.

Ayela Krispen, a personal chef and teacher at the Cheder Chabad of Monsey, spoke next, giving a cooking demo and tips on delicious dinner ideas.

“After 21 years of arranging dinners I have found that everyone has the same question when it comes to volunteering to make a dinner: what should I make?” she said.

Ayela aimed to solve that problem, giving a cooking demo including Tricolor Carrots with herbs and orange glaze, salad with avocado lime dressing and couscous with chickpea medley. Ayela gave creative ideas and advice and how to cook for each other and our families. She also has a WhatsApp group called Recipe Share. Her group is on fire with delicious dinner ideas!

The event was hosted by Karen Schild, director of Shifra and Puah of Monsey.

“Before the days of the internet I used the telephone for chessed. About five years ago I was recommended to a website called mealtrain.com. Mealtrain is a website that is similar to an online spreadsheet. People can sign up online to make meals for each other. It’s much faster and easier to send a request for kimpeturin meals with an email or WhatsApp to 200 plus Chabad ladies in our anash,” Schild explains. “I’ve easily been able to finish arranging two weeks worth of meals including Shabbos for hundreds of people, bh! The chessed of the Monsey community is such that I once arranged two weeks worth of meals for a new mother in under 20 minutes!”

Schild says the original Mealtrain program only allows one participant per day to sign up to cook food.

“About three years ago I contacted them and asked if they would consider changing their software platform to allow multiple meal participants per day. I explained that when Jews make Shabbos for each other we cook challah, fish, salad, soup, main course, side dish and dessert.

“Michael Laramee, the creator of the site, got back to me and asked if I would be willing to pay for the ability to add multiple participants. I said yes, and long story short they created Mealtrain Plus. Yes, they did it for us! I negotiated a rate with them and they created a Mealtrain Pro account for me for which I pay them a yearly rate. Michael told me that our N’shei group has created over 260 Meal Trains in the past three years!”

Schild says the program creators say they are the most active users of the site. “I feel like it was a real kiddush hashem. Michael told me of all the countries in the world that use the site, Israel is the 7th biggest user!”

“I was so happy to see women come together from all over our community,” Schild says. “It means so much to these new mommies to get a fresh, home cooked meal delivered to their door. It is such a wonderful way for us all to welcome a new neshoma into this world together as one people.”