Unique Chesed

As a follow-up to this post I wrote five years ago here about what makes our nation unique, here is something I read today:

 

A woman who runs a gemach was called by a businessman who told her the following.  He often bought sodas in a small store near his office.  One day, the Hindu storeowner asked him if he would take about one hundred extra items that the store could not use, saying, "I know you Jewish people like to help each other, and you have organizations to do this."

 

The Jewish man said, "Doesn't your religion have such organizations?"

 

The Hindu said, "Your people are known to have charity organizations to help a variety of people.  We don't have anything close to what you have."

 

The variety of chesed ideas that Jews come up with is extraordinary as any perusal of gemach listings will show.  Some unusual ones are:

 

Bar Review Materials Gemach

Bed rest crafts and activities gemach

Books on Twins Gemach: Books on expecting and raising twins

Boredom Busters Gemach: Books, magazines, tapes, CD's, and DVD's for homebound due to surgery or illness and for women on bedrest.

Camping Equipment gemach

EZ pass gemach

Ladder Gemach: 15 foot extension ladder
21 foot extension ladder
longer ladder is available

 

For more, see this community's listings and know that there are numerous communities around the world that have their own listings:

 

gemach listing