Posted on Mon, Apr. 28, 2008

NEW YORK, April 28 -- This month New York City is celebrating a very special anniversary.

(Photo: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20080428/NYM064 )

Three years ago, a welcomed guest arrived in the streets of Borough Park Brooklyn. It wasn't a famous rabbi or scholar, nor was it a well-known politician coming to campaign in a neighborhood considered to be one of the wealthiest enclaves of Orthodox and Hassidic Jews. In fact, it wasn't a person at all.

What arrived that day in April, looked more like a chic new restaurant: It had polished wood floors, a newly remodeled interior with a red carpet down the center of the floor, trees that provided each table with the privacy that Orthodox Jews embrace while sitting down for a meal. And if one walked by, it was hard to miss the smell of a freshly cooked meal wafting through the air.

But what arrived wasn't a restaurant either, and the guests who have lined up daily for the last three years to receive a three-course meal, are not Boro Park's wealthy residents. They are the often overlooked residents who live side by side the wealthy, but who often can't afford to feed their families. That first night, when Masbia-the only Kosher Soup Kitchen in New York-opened its doors it welcomed its guests with a telling sign that is still draped at the entrance. Masbia's logo is an abstract rendition of Abraham's tent, which like Masbia, was open to anyone looking to enter.

To celebrate Masbia's birthday, a number of musical entertainers are serving food this month including world-renowned-cantor Yitchoke Meir Helfgot, singers like Sruly Williger, Michoel Schnitzler, Ari Teitelbaum of Neginah Orchestra, and Music Producer Gershy Moskowitz.

That first night, three years ago, eight people showed up at Masbia to eat. Today, the kitchen serves 160 meals, five nights a week. Poverty has been steadily growing. Rents and the price of Kosher food are climbing. And most families pay enormous fees to send their kids to yeshiva.

Not a week goes by when Alexander Rapaport, who co-founded Masbia with Mordechai Mandelbaum, doesn't see a member of his community searching through the garbage bins. The problems in Borough Park are part of a larger Brooklyn phenomena. The number of Brooklynites who experienced difficulty affording needed food increased by 75% between 2003 and 2006.

About 84% of the households receiving food stamps used them up within three weeks and had to turn to soup kitchens or food pantries for the last part of the month, according to recent studies.

And during the last year, 52% of Brooklyn`s emergency food providers have run out of food at one time or another. And all of the agencies are appealing for help.

Walking into the soup kitchen on any given night, no one would guess the hardships involved with keeping a soup kitchen of this kind running. And thanks to the charitable support of many community members, Masbia has not only managed to stay above the fray, but offers services of the highest quality-- lavish meals in the most comfortable and respectful setting. While others go on holiday, Masbia never takes a vacation. They are open come rain or shine, including the holidays.

Masbia was founded by few individuals who believed that the rich in the community would jump to support an organization like this, and that's exactly what happened, said Rapaport. "Donors pushed us to be open on the holidays, they brought the money forward to make us open on the holidays," Rapaport said. "We want to be open 24/7 we just need the money to be able to do it."

And anyone who has had the pleasure of being at Masbia over the holidays, knows they are served only the best. On these nights the cost of meals drastically jumps. Whereas regular daily meals cost roughly $6 per person, the holiday equivalent would cost $80 in any New York restaurant.

"Those who come for a hot meal will be getting the best of the best," said Rapaport. "Because there is often shame in coming to a soup kitchen, it should at least be worth it and we want people to feel very good coming here. But more than that our donors want us to go all the way-they don't want to sponsor a skimpy soup, they want to sponsor the best."

Increasing demand, and the success of the Masbia model has recently led Rapaport to decide to expand. He is in the process of opening a second venue in the Williamsburg neighborhood.

Part of Masbia's success is a result of Rapaport's enterprising spirit. Always on the prowl for new ideas, Rapaport has found new and creative ways to get the community involved. At the heart of this is the belief that spreading the word of this one-of-a-kind organization is the key to public support. Rapaport uses every opportunity he gets to inform people through the media of the growing poverty among orthodox Jews. Just this past winter Masbia was featured in articles in the New York Daily News three times, on the Reuters News Bill-Boards in Times-Square, News 12 TV, the Jewish Week and the Jerusalem Post and local Jewish media including Hamodia and Der Yid. Recently Rapaport outdid himself with a video-live actors and all- that documents a new trend in the community intimately connected to the soup kitchen.

Today, much of Masbia's funding comes from an unlikely source. Unlikely, that is, by modern standards. These days, brides and grooms on the verge of getting married make sure to pay a visit to Masbia before they tie the knot. The founders have found a way to resurrect an "old world" ritual and at the same time ensure that supply at Masbia never stops.

Today, most of their $500 thousand annual budget comes from newlyweds and their parents, who thank God by sponsoring a meal at the soup kitchen in the days before the wedding celebration.

"The most appropriate thing to do before my wedding was to pay for a hot meal," said Mr. Neuman, a Borough Park resident, less than a week after he got married. "This is the way to give gratitude to God and let the poor join in my simcha."

To sponsor an entire night costs $960, which comes out to roughly $6 per meal.

The tradition dates back to the "old world" where the custom was to sponsor a "poor man's meal" in the days before the wedding. The Talmud and Midrash relate stories where giving to the poor at the time of the wedding saved the couple from potential harm. What evolved from that was a tradition of giving to the less fortunate as part of the pre-wedding ritual.

"When Europe was still a bustling Jewish center, everyone made a poor man's wedding for poor people to have good meal," said Neuman.

In America that tradition largely faded. But Masbia has found a way to bring it back in style.

"If tomorrow will be the day I rejoice the most, at least let others less fortunate rejoice with me," said Neuman, who came to Masbia dressed in his wedding garb. "On my wedding I spend time with my family and friends, but at Masbia I am with klal Israel."

During Passover Masbia was closed in the past, but this year "Bikur Cholim" of Boro Park and MASBIA Soup Kitchen jointly served hundreds of Hot Kosher for Passover meals on 10th Ave next to MMC to the families of the sick and to the needy of Boro Park. Twice a day the store front was open for guest. Yom-Tov meals included Matzah, eggs, fish, soup, chicken, Kugels, top quality fruits & vegetables, nuts, cookies, water bottles, seltzer and grape juice, Seder Platters and more. All of the kashrus directories were available for those needing medication. People from all walks of life, rich and poor, singles and mothers with children, Elderly with their spouses, or others with family in the hospital, all were able to get a warm Pesach meal at the "Bikur- Cholim annex". Partitions were available for who wanted to lead their own Seudah.

SOURCE MASBIA.org

Alexander Rapaport, +1-718-972-4446, Masbia@gmail.com,