What should I do with this woman?!?!?!?

Jubilant

Sat, Jan 07 2023, 7:14 pm

I am not sure under which form to post this so I'm posting it here.

I was just in a local department store (in Brooklyn), and when I entered the store I sat down on the couch for a minute to fix my shoes. Right next to me was sitting a young mother with a new born baby and a one year old child.

She gives a look at me, and goes - are you Jewish? I told her I am, and she got very emotional... I asked her where she is from and she told me that she’s also Jewish... I told her wow I can tell you are, and she frantically raised her voice
and asked- how can you tell?!?! Because you have a special spark in your eyes, I told her. And she suddenly started bawling (I did not know what just happened to her).

After she calmed down I asked her what hapoened? And she told me that she is from Louisiana, and she was sent to Brooklyn to be in a Domestic Shelter, and that she doesn't know a soal over here, and that today was Shabbat and she had no where to celebrate..

She is not religious, and doesn't know much about Yiddishkeit, but she is so broken and lost that she is so desperately looking for the truth.

I feel really bad for her, but have no idea where and who she should reach out to.

I feel like Hashem orchestrated this whole thing- that I should sit down on the couch for a second to fix my shoe so that I should be able to meet this lost neshama, but I really don't want to get involved.

Which Rabbi can she contact? Which organization?

Looks like she needs a lot of help.

I took her number and told her that I will call her with a number of a Rabbi...

What would you do?

Last edited by Jubilant on Sat, Jan 07 2023, 10:20 pm; edited 2 times in total

Jubilant

Sat, Jan 07 2023, 10:22 pm

Blessing1 wrote:

Try to contact Ohel.
But please, please don't leave her hanging, Hashem made you meet her.
Good luck!

I should contact OHEL? Or should I give her their number to contact them?

I really don't want to get involved, but I also want her to get help.

How do I know if the organizations will take her seriously?

Jubilant

Sat, Jan 07 2023, 10:47 pm

saboni wrote:

Connect her with chabad, call them first to explain

Thank you for your response!

Now, how do I know which Chabad Rabbi to contact? And from where would I get a phone # to call?

I'm not familiar with these things....

Last edited by Jubilant on Sun, Jan 08 2023, 12:48 am; edited 1 time in total

scintilla

Sun, Jan 08 2023, 12:39 am

Jubilant wrote:

Thank you for your response!

Now, how do I know which Chabad Rabbi to contact? And from where would I get a phone to call?

I'm not familiar with these things....

What part of Brooklyn is she in? There are many Chabad houses in Brooklyn, I would start with the closest one and if the rabbi there doesn't know how to help her he should be able to get her in touch with who can.

https://www.chabad.org/jewish-centers/ search here for phone numbers

Jubilant

Sun, Jan 08 2023, 12:45 am

scintilla wrote:

It was at Homegoods on Nostrand Ave.

The closest Chabad to that location is Chabad at Brooklyn college.

Last edited by Jubilant on Sun, Jan 08 2023, 12:49 am; edited 1 time in total

scintilla

Sun, Jan 08 2023, 1:01 am

Jubilant wrote:

It was at Homegoods on Nostrand Ave.

The closest Chabad to that location is Chabad at Brooklyn college.

I don't know them personally, but they should be able to tell you if they can help, or alternately connect you with someone who could.

Although, on second thought a regular chabad house (not on a campus) might be better, since campus ones usually only deal with students.

Really anyone should be able to tell you either they can help or help find who can!