BRONX (VINnews/Sandy Eller) – Members of the Jewish community did what they do best today, turning out en-masse to provide supplies and hot food to the victims of the deadly Bronx high rise fire that killed at least 19 and was described by Mayor Eric Adams as one of the worst that New York City has ever seen.
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Masbia executive director Alexander Rapaport and Boro Park Shomrim’s Motty Brauner joined forces to help those who escaped from the inferno with nothing more than the clothing on their backs. The two met up at Bingo with volunteers, where they purchased $5,000 worth of emergency supplies, including toothbrushes, toothpaste, soap, shampoo, towels, beverages and snacks.
“Shomrim came with three SUVs but we couldn’t fit everything in their cars, so we sent three Ubers to the Bronx with the extra supplies,” Rapaport told VIN News.
While a Shomrim team went ahead to PS 9 in the Bronx to start distributing the supplies, the Masbia contingent gathered up a tent, an outdoor propane stove and other equipment which was used heat up a giant pot of soup, chicken nuggets and rice that had been ordered from Greenfield’s catering.
“You could feel the sadness when we got there,” said Brauner. “People were talking quietly and there was a heavy weight in the air. The smiles we got when we came to help out had us feeling glad that we came.”
“Some of the people tried saying something Jewish to us and there were many who thanked us,” said Rapaport. “There was one tall African-American man who hugged me and he wasn’t letting go because he was so grateful that we came.”
Rapaport noted that the Shomrim volunteers kept asking him why he was buying so much while they were in Bingo, but that his instincts proved to be on target, with everything distributed to the fire victims.
“You could see in their eyes how grateful they were,” said Rapaport. “When people are very broken, anything you do to show that you care, whether they like your rice or not, makes a big difference.”
Those displaced by the fire were sent by the Red Cross to three different hotels in the area and Rapaport said that he and his team plan to return to the Bronx tomorrow.
“We will see what their needs are and what else we can do to help them,” said Rapaport.
To donate to help the Bronx victims: https://www.masbiarelief.org/bronxfire/
#MasbiaReliefTeam at #PS9https://t.co/6bCXof0VjW pic.twitter.com/oPnNVOwCFQ
— MasbiaRelief (@MasbiaRelief) January 10, 2022
#BREAKING / #URGENT #MasbiaReliefTeam & @BPShomrim loading up with #HotSoup #Rice #Toothbrushes #Toothpaste #Shampoo #FeminineHygiene #Soap #Cookies #Pastries #Drinks for victims of the #BonxFire
cc @RitchieTorres @bronxbp @NYCMayor @miguelmarquez pic.twitter.com/uL6VKtwaXO
— MasbiaRelief (@MasbiaRelief) January 9, 2022
Wow what a kiddish Hashem
Me Kiamcha Yisrael!!!
very nice!
Gotta give credit this Masbia guys they know how to get publicity at every opportunity.
Won’t find this in major news outlets (liberal)
This Masbia guy is great, he does so much good, like in BP he feeds 100s if not 1000s of Chinese families.
Wow! Amazing! Mi k’amcha yisrael
We should be thankful that it’s not our community that needs the aid!
Will people think of this kindness before laying a hand on Jews as we have seen in the past? Me thinks not!
Very nice kiddush Hashem. Unfortunately it will be quickly forgotten/brushed aside because kindness of Jews doesn’t fit the liberal paradigm.
Why whold they need head and shoulders??
im trying to understand
if i donate to masbia as tzedaka
what gives them the right to distribute to goyim
did they ask a shaila here?
They need toothpaste?
Would these same people ever come to our aid
When did Masbia turn into the Red Cross?