[COMMUNICATED] By: L. Halevi. Do you have questions? Rav Moshe Sternbuch Shlita has answers!

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Everybody knows ‘Reb Meir Baal Hanes’! It’s on everyone’s mind and on everyone’s lips whenever they lose something or are in a quandary and need an extra dose of Siyata D’shmaya or are doing a business deal and need some heavenly assistance. Of course, Elaka d’Meir Aneinu is the battle cry for answers.

But what exactly is ‘Reb Meir Baal Hanes’ and more importantly, what is behind the name? What kind of remarkable activities goes on behind the scenes of the world renowned organization “Kollel Shomrei Hachomos- Reb Meir Baal Hanes” that makes supporting its mission such a valuable tool that connects Klal Yisroel with Avinu Shebashamayim in all situations?

Let’s examine a little bit of the history of this incredible organization – founded over 150 years ago by the Talmidim of the saintly Chasam Sofer Zatzal, led by his son the Ksav Sofer ZY”A – and the very real difference it continues to make in the lives of thousands of Acheinu Bnei Yisroel in the modern era.

At the time of the founding of Shomrei Hachomos Reb Meir Baal Hanes, the abject poverty conditions under which the Yidden of Eretz Yisroel lived was beyond belief. The Turkish rulers of Eretz Yisroel at the time levied many taxes on the Yishuv and also did not allow the Yidden to work in many industries and their sources of income was close to nil. They relied upon the goodness of Yidden in Europe and other countries to provide for their basic needs such as food and shelter. Special representatives from the Yishuv would go around to Jewish communities in the diaspora and each city would collectively support a certain Kollel – the word at the time that was used to describe a segment of the community – in Eretz Yisroel and thus the Yidden in Chutz L’Aretz shouldered the burden of their brethren in Eretz Yisroel.

Though things have changed over the years, the duty of Bnei Chutz L’Aretz providing for the needs of Acheinu Bnei Eretz Yisroel has continued until today and Reb Meir Baal Hanes, throughout the century and a half of its existence has continuously been a pillar of support for Yesomim, Almanos, Mishpachos, Talmidei Chachamim and many others in need across the breadth of Eretz Yisroel.

Untold thousands of heads-of-households in Eretz Hakodesh still live in wretched poverty, without the means to provide for the basic needs of their children. Children literally go to bed hungry, electricity is shut off due to unpaid bills and new clothing is something they can only dream of. These conditions lead to larger problems and cause depression and lack of Chizuk in many areas. These are not strangers; these are our brothers and sisters, members of Klal Yisroel!

Kollel Shomrei Hachomos sees their plight and works tirelessly – literally day and night – to answer the call of these Neshamos and provide them with basic necessities to afford them the chance to live with dignity.
Kollel Shomrei Hachomos, with the support of Yidden from all walks of life, all backgrounds and all communities, provides the needs for all who suffer in poverty regardless of their backgrounds or affiliation. Reb Meir Baal Hanes is the Tzedaka of Klal Yisroel, supported by Gedolei Yisroel across all spectrums of Yiddishkeit, and they provide life-saving support to Yidden of every type and stripe.

Yidden from Ashdod to Ashkelon, Bnei Brak to Beit Shemesh, Netania to Nahariah and everywhere in between receive help from Kollel Shomrei Hachomos. As an example, this past Pesach, over 50,000 individuals received assistance from Kollel Shomrei Hachomos, allowing them to celebrate the Yom Tov of freedom alongside their neighbors, without having their financial situations damper the joy. Is there a greater Mitzvah in the world than giving so many people – who are no different than us – the chance to keep their heads high at the Yom Tov table?

Whether it’s providing for Almanos who lost their husbands, Chasanim And Kallos who need to get married and set up homes of their own, or Yungeleit who cannot afford the simplest of things, elderly in nursing homes or ill people who cannot afford medical supplies, Kollel Shomrei Hachomos has a vast network of services that know about the needs of each community member and speedily and discreetly do whatever is necessary to fill those needs.

Kollel Shomrei Hachomos is staffed by an army of dedicated staff and volunteers who act as messengers of Klal Yisroel to take care of our own. Kollel Shomrei Hachomos turns suffering into satisfaction, lives in jeopardy into lives of joy and Klal Yisroel’s poor into Klal Yisroel’s priority.

The current annual budget of Kollel Shomrei Hachomos exceeds $13 Million, plus an additional $7 Million in interest-free loans. This all-but-impossible annual budget allows Klal Yisroel to experience Shabbos, Yom Tov, Simchos and a general day-to-day Simchas Hachaim that they otherwise would be unable to attain.

This mammoth budget is not a luxury; it is a total necessity, without which thousands upon thousands of Yidden would literally not have the means with which to survive.

The Askanim of Kollel Shomrei Hachomos works tirelessly, around the year and around the clock to meet the goals, which are only getting larger and larger with each passing year. How do they do it? Only with the help of communities of Yidden throughout the world, via Pushka campaigns and other fundraising events, such as dinners, parlor meetings and breakfasts, which, with the support of each and every community, adds up to Klal Yisroel collectively supporting Bnei Eretz Yisroel.

The Lakewood community, which has a well-deserved reputation as a city built on Torah, Avodah and Gemilus Chasadim, is known for its epic response to Tzedaka causes that matter to Klal Yisroel at large. Kollel Shomrei Hachomos has a large base of support in Lakewood and has been supporting the organization for decades. The esteemed Lakewood Rosh Yeshiva, Harav Dovid Schustal Shlita is a Nasi of the Kolel, a position he inherited from his late father, the great Rosh Yeshiva, Rav Simcha Schustal Zatzal.

For the past few years already, Lakewood has hosted an annual Shomrei Hachomos dinner and with each passing year, the support from city residents has grown. This year, the dinner will be held at the Tiferes Bais Yaakov hall on oak street, on July 26, 2016, and will have many exciting features, most notably a first-time-ever live video hookup with the Posek Hador, Hagaon Harav Moshe Sternbuch Shlita, Ra’avad of the Eidah Hachareidis in Yerushalayim, who will be responding to questions posed to him by residents of Lakewood. This is the first time Rav Sternbuch has agreed to do such a thing, due to the importance of the work of Shomrei Hachomos and his close relationship with the organization, in which he is personally involved.

Residents of Lakewood are invited to submit their questions for the Ra’avad Shlita via email to mailto:[email protected] or via fax to 718-243-2499. The Ra’avad will be answering as many of the questions as possible in the allotted time for the hookup, and it will truly be a historic, not-to-be-missed event.

Kollel Shomrei Hachomos is there for Klal Yisroel 24/7, and it will be a tremendous Chizuk for the many Askanim involved in this organization from around the world- including many Lakewood Askanim – if each and every member of the Lakewood Tzibur would take an hour or two out of their schedule to be a part of it, physically and financially.

Elaka D’Meir Aneinu, may the Ribono Shel Olam who enables Reb Meir Baal Hanes to answer the call of so many downtrodden Yidden, answer all our Tefilos and grant the Lakewood Tzibur who supports this worthy organization with abundant Bracha and Hatzlacha always.

Please look out in your mail box for your personal invitation to the dinner and please respond generously. For more information about the dinner please contact mailto:[email protected]