Thousands of avreichim streamed to Strauss Street in Yerushalayim on Friday morning, Erev Sukkos, for an extraordinary Yom Tov distribution organized by renowned philanthropist Reb Yoeli Landau, with the enormous turnout eventually blocking traffic on the street.
The distribution was held at the Ohr Hachaim Torah center, where approximately 6,000 people each received an envelope containing 1,220 shekels to assist with Yom Tov expenses. The envelopes were marked “Shefa Yoel.”
The total amount distributed was approximately 7.32 million shekels, representing a massive infusion of direct financial assistance to thousands of families ahead of Sukkos.
An announcement publicized Thursday night said the “Sanzer distribution,” held in memory of the Divrei Chaim of Sanz zy”a, would take place between 7:00 and 9:00 Friday morning for married avreichim. From the early morning hours, huge crowds began arriving at the location.
The sheer number of people created significant congestion, with Strauss Street ultimately becoming blocked to traffic.
Some criticism emerged on social media over the crowding and manner in which the distribution was conducted. Those close to Landau responded that the distribution followed a longstanding model he uses in the United States.
According to his associates, every Friday Landau sits for approximately two hours in his Williamsburg beis medrash and provides substantial financial assistance to anyone in need. During his current visit to Eretz Yisroel, he decided to conduct a similar distribution for Israeli kollel families, allowing them to prepare for Yom Tov with greater financial breathing room.
His associates further said that Landau quietly distributes tens of millions of shekels each month, including through direct transfers into the bank accounts of needy families. This particular distribution, they said, was deliberately opened broadly rather than conducted through predetermined lists, with the decision only finalized earlier this week.
By Friday morning, thousands of avreichim had walked away with desperately needed Yom Tov assistance — with more than NIS 7 million distributed in a matter of hours ahead of Sukkos.
(YWN World Headquarters – NYC)
6 Responses
Ashrei chelko! And screw leitner for belittling such chessed with his corrupted hashkafa and lack of rabbinical respect or guidance! Shame on him
The responsibility to provide for one’s family is a heavy one. When it feels overwhelming, the instinct is often to build a stronger wall around yourself. This is not weakness; it is a loyal defense of the life you have made work, even if it has become a cramped space.
The impulse to help others, to share what you have, is an expression of that inner fire. It is what allows a man to step outside his own walls and connect with another’s need. That connection itself is a form of sustenance.
Dear rebEmes (Sheker?)
I’m assuming that it’s your tremendous virtue of rabbinical respect and pure hashkafa, which allows you the luxury of using nivul peh in your response. If it’s truth that you are pursuing, than allow me to set the record straight. Leitner was by no means belittling Mr. Landau’s amazing chesed, quite the contrary! He was becrying the sad fact that literally thousands of yungerleit were mobbing the streets and scrambling for a donation of approx. $400 to allow them to make YomTov. That is definitely not a normal situation, and means must be taken to break chareidi families out of the cycle of poverty.
smart man, benefiting himself both on this world and the next world because of his tremendous chasodim
Ashari, it’s very optimistic of you but he did not mean that in any respectful way whatsoever. His agenda has always been to help people get out of Yeshiva and into the army and workforce, never once consulting with a rav or being careful about trampling on all of them, stepping on their toes on a daily basis in such a disrespectful way. Go learn who he is. And then we’ll celebrate when he doesn’t cross the threshold as predicted
Ashari- you’re very naive to think that’s what he meant when his entire campaign so far has been to undermine the rabbis at just about every turn, even going as far to stand at tel hashomer with lieberman the most religious hating man on the planet and congratulating soldiers for coming and leaving Yeshiva and going against the wishes of gedolei yisrael. He will be forgotten shortly after the election but his punishment will be severe upstairs