“To say we were overwhelmed would be an understatement. A quarter million dollars from one student? What brought him to this level of dedication? “
We set out on our quest to raise funds to build Bais R’ Yoel, with the knowledge that thousands would be eager to join us in honoring the Rebbe’s Chozer.
We expected many to contribute, but the full scope of what we were dealing with was really made clear to us when we learned that a talmid of R’ Yoel pledged a $250,000 donation.
To say we were overwhelmed would be an understatement. A quarter million dollars from one student? What brought him to this level of dedication? We approached this talmid, a member of the Boro Park community, to ask him what made him pledge such a generous amount of money for the campaign.
His motivation was clear: “I received so much from R’ Yoel; I have to give back.”
The talmid shared with us that he had pooled together all of his savings for this donation. And that was only the beginning of his ‘giving back’: the man put his business on hold for two weeks, to dedicate time and energy to the campaign. He has been making phone calls, pulling people on board to give back to R’ Yoel and assist in perpetuating his life’s work.
A donation of this degree is not pledged out of a mere desire to “honor” R’ Yoel.
It is born of a yearning to somehow do justice to the timeless, priceless gift that R’ Yoel has graced his students with. This talmid feels that Reb Yoel gave him access to Chassidus. So much so that the impact of R’ Yoel spills over; to the point that he now feels compelled to spread the wealth.
Speaking to many talmidim of Reb Yoel throughout the campaign has allowed us to see that this talmid echoes the sentiments of fellow talmidim of R’ Yoel around the world.
If you too are a thankful talmid of R’ Yoel, now is a great time to act on your gratitude for all that Reb Yoel has given you.
Join us in building Bais R’ Yoel.
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