Organization to Help All New Moms

When a new baby joins the family it’s a big stress on everyone but none so much as the mother who now spends her days and nights entirely occupied with caring for her new little one. It’s an overwhelming job. For a new mother there’s so much to learn about baby care and feeding. For a mother with other children, she has the tricky task of balancing the responsibility of the new baby as well as the older ones. It’s no small wonder that during this time mothers themselves often feel neglected. And yet this is a crucial time for the mother to get good nourishment, good rest and positive encouragement from those around her. Remember, good care for a mother will always equal good care for her children!

40 years ago the Rebbe knew that this was so important to Jewish families and mothers. The Shifra and Puah initiative first began in Kfar Chabad on Yom Kippur (!!!!) where the Rebbe made sure that the organizers would not distinguish between one family or another. There was to be no consideration of financial situation, family connections, or whether this was the first child or seventh! The program was not to discriminate between any women and make sure that all mothers were treated with equal care and support.

When Shifra and Puah was first initiated in Crown Heights, it was mainly to serve the women who were living without parents in the area that could support them. A weeks worth of breakfast’s were delivered directly to the new mother; beautifully presented and prepared with the highest standards of kashrus.

Now, in honor of the 40th anniversary of Shifra and Puah’s initiation, Junior Nshei is teaming up with Shifra and Puah to create a larger organization that can service all women in Crown Heights without distinction, as the Rebbe originally envisioned it. From now on, every mother in Crown Heights will be qualified to receive Shifra and Puah breakfasts, no matter what her situation is.

At this time, the newly expanded program is looking for volunteers to assist in the delivery of these meals. Both a driver and her companion will bring the meals to the family, with the companion hand delivering the beautifully packaged breakfast to the mother, while the driver waits.

We are very excited about this new initiative and we hope that the community will join us in supporting our growing population. New mothers deserve our help and support, and this is a great way to show it. By requesting meals on behalf of our friends or family, and by volunteering for this program, we send mothers a message of respect and admiration and we build a community of caring and achdus.

To take part in this initiative and volunteer as a driver or companion, please email [email protected].