The Grandchildren of Rav Shayale of Kerestirer, zt”l, Raise Tzadakah, L’ilui Nishmas, for the Hungry

By Yehudit Garmaise 

  Last year, while standing in line at a Monsey grocery store, Rabbi Moshe Shmiel Rottenberg noticed a child at the register who was struggling because he had not been given enough cash to pay for his groceries.

   “My heart melted as I watched the red-faced child with tears about to spill over,” said Rabbi Rottenberg, who then, pulled out a $20 dollar bill and paid for the child’s items.  “The child told me, ‘Our house is empty, there is no food at all.’

   “No one should ever have to go to bed hungry, due to poverty.”

    After Rabbi Rottenberg discussed the episode with his siblings, the brothers, who are grandchildren of Grand Rabbi Shaya'la Steiner, zt”l, of Kerestir, Hungary, who was known as a miracle worker and a ba’al chesed to thousands of Yidden, decided in the merit of their holy zayde, to create Tzidkas Yeshaya, which raises funds to pay off the grocery accounts of families who are in need in Boro Park, Monsey, Monroe, and Williamsburg.

  “His whole life, Rav Shayale was known for feeding hungry people,” recounted the son of Rabbi Chaim Rottenberg, the Forshay Rebbe, whose Monsey home was attacked at a Chanukah party in December 2019. “My grandfather was always giving people food and serving people.”

   “Many more people than usual are struggling financially this year as a result of COVID,” recounted one of Rav Shayale’s grandsons, who remembered always hearing many stories about the great chesed of his grandfather. “Also, because people could not travel to my grandfather’s kever, as they normally do on his yarhtzeit, which is today: 3 Iyar, we decided to make a tzedakah campaign to pay the grocery bills of Yidden. Instead of traveling Kerestir, which is hard now, people can donate money, l’ilui nishmas, to help other people.”

    In addition to bringing great brachos and merit, ba’alei tzedakah can send by mail, fax, or e-mail kvitelech that a shaliach will personally bring to Rav Shayala’s kever.

    Have people reported finding yeshuas after giving to Tzidkas Yeshaya?

   “Absolutely,” said a Tzidkas Yeshaya representative, who remembered that the first bracha that was reported to him came from a man who promised to give 15% of his income to the organization. “Just an hour later, the man called back to say that his wife, who had a business, had made more in the last hour than she had in the last six weeks.”

   Readers can donate to or receive assistance from Tzdikas Yeshaya by calling (845) 203.9090, or by visiting tzidkasyeshaye.org.