By COLlive reporter
As a powerful snowstorm swept through New York following this weekend’s CTeen Shabbaton, the Crown Heights community and beyond sprang into action to care for approximately 2,000 teens left stranded by widespread travel disruptions.
Blizzard conditions overnight made it impossible for many participants to catch scheduled flights home. While some teens managed to leave early in an effort to avoid the storm, hundreds found themselves stuck in Crown Heights, with others stranded for hours at JFK and Newark airports.
CTeen International, led by Chairman Rabbi Mendy Kotlarsky and Rabbi Shimon Rivkin, Director, quickly arranged a full day of programming for Monday to ensure the teens remaining in New York would be cared for and engaged despite the unexpected delay. Teens enjoyed a snowman-making competition, with two winners receiving a free Shabbaton weekend next year, crafts, basketball games with Oholei Torah students, and more activities. Some teens even used their extra time in New York to give back to the Crown Heights community, volunteering to help shovel the streets during the storm.
“As soon as we became aware of this emergency situation, we immediately sprang into action to try and do everything we could to ease the burden of every Shliach, many of whom are exhausted following the three-day packed schedule of the CTeen weekend,” said Rabbi Mendy Kotlarsky.
At the airports, volunteers worked tirelessly to assist those waiting for updates. Members of Shomrim, led by Mendy Hershkop, assisted by Yaacov Behrman of the Jewish Future Alliance, coordinated the transfer of food to 300 stranded teens at JFK Airport. Rabbi Bender from Achiezer in the Five Towns got food from South Shore yeshiva dinner and delivered it with Mendy Cohen to JFK to feed those still at the airport.
Sruli Yavich of Shmira arranged four buses to transport 300 teens from JFK back to Crown Heights using Bais Rivkah buses, with drivers Shloimy Ezagui, Mendel Backman and Yossi Kahan organized under his direction.
Back in the neighborhood, mosdos and community leaders opened their doors without hesitation. Rabbi Sholom Goldstein, Shimon Sabol and Benny Wolf made Bais Rivkah buildings on Crown Street and Lefferts Avenue available for programming and activities. Rabbi Sholom Ber Baumgarten opened the Jewish Children’s Museum to host the teens. Oholei Torah, under the direction of Shmeilach Rosenfeld, opened its basketball court and swimming pool to provide additional space and recreation. Teen boys joined Chavrusah learning session with Oholei Torah Zal bochurim, coordinated with the assistance of Menahel Rabbi Chony Lesches.
Meals for hundreds of teens were provided through the generosity of Itzik Benabou of House of Glatt together with caterer Bentzion Cohen, ensuring that no one went hungry during the extended stay.
The chesed extended beyond Crown Heights. Members of the Chabad community in Hillside, NJ, braved treacherous road conditions to drive to Newark Airport and bring 30 stranded teens back to their homes, where families opened their doors to host them until travel becomes possible.
What could have been a chaotic and frightening experience for hundreds of teenagers instead became a powerful display of achdus and care. Once again, Crown Heights and neighboring communities demonstrated that when guests are in need, the response is immediate and wholehearted.
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Incredible community!! The best!!
Shloimy Ezagui
Mendel Backman
Yossi Kahan
Thank you for picking up the stranded teens, family from the France wedding, a woman with her baby and many other people besides the teens!
This is so beautiful. What a hashgacha Pratis that these kids could stay and get a chance to spend a bit more time…learning chavrusa style, bonding with our community (playing basketball) and even give a helping hand by shoveling.
Kol hakavod to all those above who partook of contributing to the many meals.
This is how we bring moshiach…by doing deeds of goodness and kindness and bringing more light into this world which truly is so needed.
I think Crown Heights is the capital of Chessed in the entire word!!! No jokes!!! Just think of how many visitors and Shabbatons we have every year!!!
The cteens kindly shoveled out a lot of places
God was like, how do I get an extra thousand tefillins today🤣
I’m literally in tears. I don’t know which part of the article is more emotional…the teens, the Chesed, the store owners, caterers, schools, our students…this is amazing! Moshiach should have been here by now!! And a special shout out to Rabbi’s Rivkin and Kotlarski and all the Shluchim Rabbi’s and Rebbetzin’s! מי כעמך כישראל. The weekend was amazing but these acts of Chesed and extra work of all those involved just shows us how special our community is! דעם רבין׳ס סאלדאטן
It truly is amazing was people are doing. We must say thank you to Hashem and the Rebbe and a huge shout out to the absolutely amazing selfless CTeen International Office Staff and volunteers that people don’t get to see too much, don’t necessarily hear about, but are ultimately the ones putting in non-stop in so many areas so that CTeen can run and be successful, including to help organize and run these “last-minute” programs that were put together. And the same applies to many other Chabad offices, and in life in general. Many people are ‘holding up the fort’… Read more »
I have tears in my eyes seeing all this beautiful Chesed and the teens being such good sports!!
The Shluchim, Teens and all involved, will surely all be positively impacted by their experiences. Kol hakavod to everyone who helped make this happen.
and a great demonstration of the wonderful things that can be accomplished and experienced if we choose to find positivity