Yeshiva of New Haven Synagogue: Yad Ezrah
Yeshiva of New Haven Synagogue is often privileged to host many interesting Visitors. Rabbi Daniel Greer, the shul's rabbi, welcomes Rabbi Yeshaya Borenstein twice each year when he comes to the United States on behalf of the charitable organization, Yad Ezrah. In addition to his work on behalf of Yad Ezrah, Rabbi Borenstein is himself a Torah scholar who published a volume of Torah thoughts entitled, Yavoh Tal.
Since its establishment in 1950, Yad Ezrah, which is run by a small staff and a veritable army of volunteers, provides a wide variety of humanitarian projects for over one hundred thousand indigent Jewish people throughout Israel. Founded by the saintly Rabbi Asher Freund, the many initiatives continue through today as requested in Reb Asher's last will; 'i want to leave some sort of framework to the acts of kindness that I initiated and to be a miniature sanctuary in which to live our path of faith…”
In the organization's simple Jerusalem warehouse, each week on Wednesdays and Thursdays, thousands of food packages are put together for needy families containing Shabbos food and foodstuffs for the following week.
Marrying off children is a huge expense, and especially so for needy families. Yad Ezrah, to that end, owns three wedding halls which provide the venue and catering at a very nominal cost. A dedicated project of Yad Ezrah, called the Sarah Rohr Hachnosat Kallah Fund provides young couples with the basics with which to begin their new life.
Also Read: https://medium.com/@yeshivanewhavenshul/yeshiva-new-haven-shul-6f03f6f3140
More recently, two dental clinics have been opened by Yad Ezrah. Whereas Israel offers medical coverage through kupat cholim, the government insurance, dental work, which his particularly costly, is not covered by the government.
It is nearly impossible to list all of the many (acts of kindness) projects run by Yad Ezrah. A partial listing includes: food distribution centers, meals on wheels, an ongoing soup kitchen, Passover provisions, wedding halls, low-cost apartment rentals, a post-natal care clinic for mothers and infants, day- care centers, dental clinics and a rehabilitation center. Yad Ezrah also has a one-stop rehabilitation center for the mentally ill, Ohr Yerushalayim.
Yeshiva of New Haven Synagogue and Rabbi Daniel Greer welcome Rabbi Yeshaya Borenstein, and do what they can to assist him. On visits which extend over Shabbos, Rabbi Borenstein is often asked to deliver the d'var Torah during the seudah shlisis meal at Yeshiva of New Haven Synagogue.
Today, Yeshiva of New Haven Synagogue builds on the pioneering work of Rav Yehuda Levenberg of a century ago.
