Rabbi Mordechai Lipskier takes a step back to admire the work of a few women for the Crown Heights community.
By Rabbi Mordechai Lipskier
I know I am not the only husband who is grateful for his wife’s involvement with the Crown Heights Women’s Circle.
When my wife Chanel and her friend Mrs. Dvora Lakein founded the Women’s Circle eight years ago, they envisioned a warm haven for local mothers to learn and socialize. A cohesive community for those who felt sidelined in our sometimes impersonal neighborhood. The Women’s Circle quickly became all of those things. But then a subtle shift happened and the Circle became so much more.
The women who come each Wednesday for an hour of Chassidus and companionship are no casual friends. When one celebrates, the whole group encircles her in joyous solidarity. When someone struggles, the Circle leans in to assist with dinners, babysitting, referrals, and emotional support. It’s the stuff that family is made of and over the years, it’s clear that my wife has gained many such sisters.
It sounds idyllic, yet it is no exaggeration to say that these women keep Crown Heights rolling. In practical terms, the load the Circle assumes (with meals, childcare, hospital rides, and fundraising) alleviates pressure on Crown Heights’ respected social service organizations.
The spiritual ripples are no less tangible. Each Wednesday, some 40 women leave the class with enough inspiration to rouse their buildings and blocks. The lessons they learn and the resolutions they make ripple through the broader community. The monthly Imos Ubanos attracts many new faces and unites mothers and daughters where the traditional school model cannot.
I’m turning to you now with a request, and a pledge. Please help us close our deficit of $50,000 during this week’s two-day campaign. Help us keep this Circle in motion as we commit to positively transforming the entire community.
So please, let’s roll. Together. Our community needs this.
Visit Matchathon.com/WC to make your contribution.
Sincerely,
Rabbi Mordechai Lipskier