Written by Rabbi Gidon Goldberg
Dear Parents,
The school raffle will be held this Sunday afternoon, February 25, at 12:45 p.m.in the school lunchroom, following the kollel Mincha. Please join us for a few minutes to pick the tickets and the winners. We can take online or direct purchase ticket orders until the final minutes before the raffle.
The building of the Mishkon relied on the generosity of Klal Yisroel, to the point where, we are told, the Nesiim offered to donate any shortfall. This type of offer is certainly a fundraiser’s dream…but no such offer has yet been received with regard to this year’s raffle campaign. The Nesiim were criticized and received a consequence for failing to give
immediately rather than waiting until the last minute. This represents the concept of Mitzvah habaa leyod’cho al tachmitzena – never to push off a mitzvah that comes our way, but rather to perform it immediately.
We at PHDS/NEAT have many generous donors – but none who are offering to cover any shortfalls in our raffle campaign. I am therefore turning to all our parents and friends and asking you to please purchase or solicit any last-minute tickets. Tickets can be purchased online at: www.phdschool.org/raffle. The success of any fundraiser is contingent on parents and friends and their solicitation efforts. I would like to highlight two parents who have made it their mission to sell many tickets. We thank Mrs. Shifra Yudkowsky, our lead
solicitor, and Mrs. Liba Taitelbaum, who is a close second. I realize that neither of these ladies would want to be thanked, but the school must offer its tremendous hakoras hatov to them for their efforts. One of the pesukim speaks of giving using the word venosnu. Many commentaries point out that venosnu is spelled the same in either direction, to teach us
that the more you give, the more you get – and that donations made for tzedokoh will always find their way back to you.
As Purim is rapidly approaching, I thank the teachers and administrators for making the spirit of Purim felt in all the halls and walls of the school. The Purim shtick and dancing was
all in good taste and we wish everyone a happy Purim. As has been the case over the past number of years, my wife and I will be in Lakewood over Purim, fundraising for the school, which has proven to be a most successful endeavor. We have made a donation to the school in honor of the parents and teachers to whom we would normally be sending Mishloach Monos. In light of this, please feel free not to send mishloach monos to us; we certainly appreciate all your kind thoughts.
Best wishes for a Happy Purim!
Good Shabbos,
Rabbi Peretz Scheinerman
Dean