New York – A unique new service utilizing the resources of three separate organizations will assist travelers who find themselves unable to reach their destinations before Shabbos with an alternative to spending Shabbos on the side of the road or at the airport.
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The Shabbos Emergency Roadside Service will debut this Friday, three hours before Shabbos. Pooling the combined resources of Shabbat.com, a website that pairs people who want a place to spend Shabbos with hosts looking for Shabbos guests, a hotline provided by the Kol Hachesed Helpline and dispatchers supplied by Chaveirim/Shvil Hayashar, the hotline will be activated weekly to aid stranded travelers. Shabbat.com’s database currently emcompasses eighty countries and covers approximately 85% of the United States.
“This service is meant for emergency situations only,” said Shabbat.com founder Rabbi Benzion Klatzko in an interview with VIN News. “Our dispatcher will pinpoint the closest hosts and go down the list, if necessary, to find a placement nearby for Shabbos. If we have no hosts in the area we will try to find the closest Chabad center or the nearest Rov.”
The 43 year old Klatzko, a Monsey resident, is urging the public to sign up as hosts with Shabbat.com in order to be able to help as many people as possible.
“This is real social networking in a Yiddishe way,” said Rabbi Klatzko. The phone number for the hotline is 718-705-5000.
I can only imagine how great the temptation some will face to overcome the urge to pronounce this idea as one that will only encourage more people to wait for the last minute to travel before shabbos, thereby, actually becoming a potential source for chilul shabbos.
Therefore, allow me say just this:
This is a wonderful, wonderful idea, and those who conceived and executed this idea truly understand the core essence of chessed, deserve the highest level of gratitude, and should be zoche the highest levels of success.
As someone who is always asked to host people that I am not familiar with, I would like to advise anyone that does this that they insist on having solid references for the person and their character. If they are insulted let them sleep on the street. A person with real references will not be offended. I love having guests and meeting new people. Kabdehu vechashdehu.
I know Rabbi klatzko, he is a great guy & a true baal chesed
With the recent tragedy just days behind us. What safeguards are in place for the hosts to make sure they are not hosting a Levy Aron or a molestor to spend Shabbos with their children and wives?
I was also thinking that this was a lovely idea, however, I am worried about allowing stangers into my home with my 2 beautiful sons. I left a message at the phone number and am waiting for a call back from them. I want to know how they will know who the stranded people are. Unfortunately, in today’s world, we have to be so careful.
I just called the number 718-705-5000 and surprisingly found out that they connect you to 100’s of organizations across the globe. A great number to remember. What a great service by this organization. Much Hatclocho
As professional Chaveirim dispatchers that man the “Shabbos Road Assistance Program”, before we can attempt to put up any stranded individuals for Shabbos we have protocols and guidelines to follow.
We do our best to ensure that only true emergencies and that stable and safe individuals are hosted providing the maximum safety and security possible.
while the previous posting “may” be right that we should be cautious, let’s not go overboard with being cautious–is it the yetzer horo preventing us from doing a mitzva?
My first read of the idea was more–“mi k’amcha Yisroel!”
this sounds like an amazing form of hachnosas orchim….my family and i did not make it to our destination this past Rosh Hashana…..once we realized how in trouble we were…we rerouted to a sister in law…who – “reluctantly” took us in…minutes before shkia…(she doesnt like surprises….while hosting 30 other geusts…till today im upset i gave her the mitzva she didnt even want…whatever…) then 2 shabbosim ago a distant friend did not make it to her destination on shabbos….and lets just say a self proclaimed heter was made…..
ever since that near chilul shabbos/yomtov R”L- i leave lots of room and travel early…but sometimes even leaving double the amount of time is not enough….one accident and the route can be backed up for miles…this is an awesome chessed….hatzlacha and bracha!!!! and may HKB”H reward you- the hosts and organization!!! mi keamcha yisrael!!!!