In anticipation of Pesach, the organization, Keren Zichron Naftali, directed by Rabbi Kalman Katz and Rabbi Cheskin Green in Lakewood, New Jersey, undertook a meaningful initiative to support the local Kollel community. They distributed $150,000 worth of gift cards for use at neighborhood grocery stores, aiming to help Kollel families manage their Pesach expenses. The recipients were deeply grateful, using the cards to buy the food and other necessities required for Yom Tov.
After Pesach, Rabbi Kalman received an unexpected phone call from a member of the Kollel at Bais Medrash Gavoha. The man expressed his thanks for the grocery card but explained that he wished to return it. Surprised, Rabbi Kalman asked why. The Kollel man explained that he was enrolled in SNAP, the New Jersey food stamp program, which had provided him with sufficient benefits to cover all his food expenses for Yom Tov. He acknowledged that he still had food expenses after Pesach, but he felt uncomfortable keeping the card, knowing the funds had been specifically raised to help with expenses for Pesach.
The sincerity and integrity of this Kollel man, who lived with his family on a modest budget, left Rabbi Kalman speechless. This display of honesty and wholesomeness—choosing not to use the gift card for purposes other than those intended—was a testament to the Kollel man’s pure character. Rabbi Kalman assured him that he was welcome to use the card for expenses unrelated to Pesach and thanked him for the inspiration and integrity that he had demonstrated.
