From the COLlive inbox:
There has been a lady in her 30’s that has been walking around on Kingston Ave. for the last few weeks, asking people for money.
She has been telling people that she came to Crown Heights “last night” to help her friend move, and her friend was supposed to drive her home but her friend abandoned her and she is asking for a few dollars just to get her back to her house in Long Island.
She is also offering to give out her phone number and she will wire them any money that she is given. She seems very innocent and polite, but she is not Jewish and her story is fake.
I met her 2 weeks ago, and she just came over to me again this afternoon with the exact same story.
I know it’s not exciting news but if you publish this info, it will save a lot of Yidishe money.
Thanks,
M.
I was once on the train and approached by a goy, who asked for money for food, “he was really hungry”, etc. I gave him half my lunch. He ate it within about 5 seconds. He really WAS hungry!!
That source you quoted, is referring to עכו”ם which is עובדי עבודת כוכבים, In general, it is a mitzvah to give a Yid, but we are commanded to emulate Hashem in all in ways , and have pity on the needy, even if he is not Jewish. even to animals! ורחמיו על כל מעשיו, and there are many stories of גדולי ישראל who helped goyim in their time of need.
Was once in Penn Station waiting for the train to leave.man came over to me on the train and told a story of broken down, etc. and he needed money to get home. his station was on the same train. I told him to sit down and i would give the conductor money for his ticket. he got up, started cursing and left the train!
next time someone says he hasn’t eaten in 2 days, take him to the store and buy him a sandwich, don’t give him money
Nechama on kinston Ave is a Jewish woman
Please give her food
Thank you very much for sharing and thank you collive.com for posting it. This will certainly save many people from falling into this trap.
that her name is Nechama Levine, that she is a baalas teshuvah, and that she had nowhere to go and had been sleeping on Kingston Avenue. She told me a different story about why she was in New York. I spent about an hour trying to help her find a place to sleep, but when I got back, she had disappeared. I do not know if she is Jewish or not, and would be interested in hearing how the OP has *confirmed* that she is not Jewish. It seems to me that she could well be Jewish, and clearly has… Read more »
Most of the money you give for ״tzedaka” on Kingston is going to their drug habit. The community should make a system where they can get vouchers for food or rent through an app like they have inLA.
Just give a few coins if you think they are con artists…
If the person asking uses the money for the wrong thing that’s on them but we know we’re still commanded to give and the mitzvah still holds even if the person who receives our Tzeddakah isn’t honest.
מפרנסים עניי עכו״ם עם עניי ישראל is a HETER, not a mitzvah. The gemoro says explicitly that it is not tzedokoh and one gets no reward for it, but if a gabai tzedoko is giving to yidden and a goy comes along and asks too, it’s not nice to turn him away, so he can give him in order to have peaceful relations. Without this heter it would be forbidden because (1) it is forbidden to give presents to a goy; (2) people gave their money so they should have a mitzvah, and now the donor of that money will… Read more »
But when someone dresses as a Jew, and asks for “tzedakah,” to make you think he’s a Jew, and you know that he’s not, to me that’s a liar. There are kids who will not be in yeshivah, mother’s who can’t put a decent meal on their table, fathers who are facing foreclosure. They are my brothers and sisters, living in my community. I will give my tzedakah to them. If i encounter a non-Jew asking for food, I’ll offer them part of my lunch, an apple, a bagel, a bag of chips. Even on purim when you have to… Read more »
In Manhattan had a guy with a similar story and no return phone call or anything. Thank you to all those that shared stories.
I dont think theres a problem with a nonjew asking or giving to a non jew. I think we are a open and generous community to all humans. The issue if the person sounds like a Fraud!!
Similar to the guy in #4. He tried it on me.
There are definitely those who ask for Tzedaka who are in genuine need, but there is also a growing phenomenon of goyim who have observed the Jewish practice of Tzedaka and think ” I can get a free handout if I pretend to be a Jew or justht to say the word “Tzedaka””. and approach Jews on Kingston Ave on a regular basis. Halachacly, you have every right to decide who you want to give to; just be wary and informed that you should always preferentially give to a sincere Jewish person in need, and that while giving to Gentiles… Read more »
Always be careful with your money, even when you trust them. I once lent my good friend $5 AND HE NEVER GAVE IT BACK. I think it should be obvious to repay someone. moral is never give anyone money ever.
I have no problem giving tzedaka to non-jews, it’s a kidush Hashem. The issue is when you’re encouraging a fraudster by giving them money and they will continue to lie, cheat and steal.
BS”D When I go on train (not often) I take quarters to give the pan handlers, figure it makes a Kiddush Hashem, last week approached one who was hollering money for food and he told me don’t you dare give me a quarter
SO WHATS THE BIG DEAL
GIVE THE PERSON A DIME OR 2. AT LEAST YOU DID YOUR DUTY TO A GOY FAKE OR NOT.
YOUR NOT BREAKING THE BANK
The article seemed the issue was she is a liar!
She happened to not be Jewish but that’s not
Why they said be ware!
A guy once stopped me about medical bills on a train
I gave every dime I had,,,,,
Yeah that’s for warning
The beauty is YIDDEN have a huge heart and give!
That’s why they do it
And we still get the mitzvah from HaShem regardless
I too fell victim to this guy
I gave over Chanukah to a teenager with a kippa . He said hebwas doing a raffle for Lubavitch Yesheva. He even had a LY raffle book. I gave him CC info cause I didn’t have cash he even had a small machine with him to process it. Turned out to be some Spanish kid just frauding people. I never buy raffles now unless I know the person.
Please post a pic of person
Do it does say we should give Goyim Tzedakah as well to “keep the peace”, but it also writes you’re supposed to give gifts to Goyim. Don’t have sources handy but I’ll dig them up.
We have Gypsies, who come dressed very tznius,collecting here as well. I was about to give one when someone bumped into her and she shouted “J….!”.
People were collecting on Central Ave and in front of supermarkets, until people found out they were gypsies and community put a stop to it and they were ran out of town.
BH. to explain my previous statement. Does it not say “or lagoim nasaticho” I have made you as a light to the nations, give this “goy” a slice of chassidus, about honesty, which was the last straw before the flood of noach, and false pretences is not the right way to recieve blessing from above.
Reminds me of the beggar who asked me for money on Kingston Avenue, he claimed he hadn’t eaten anything in 2 days, but I had my doubts and didn’t give him. I saw him again the next day and he used the same line, “I haven’t eaten in 2 days.”. As it was impossible for him not to have eaten in 2 days 2 days in a row, I felt good that I hadn’t given him.
Most of the ladies that ask for money on kingston are GYPSIES.
they say the word TZEDAKAh..better to give to Jewish ones.
This trick is very old. I get approached especially in manhattan about someone needs money for his car stuck. I had one black guy approached me last week as we were walking in manhattan with the same broken car gimmick. I told him that there is someone from Hillarys camp following me because we did not vote for her and they want to assasinate us. The guy asked if he should call the police. I told him it isnt necessary as the CIA is aware of it. The guy cracked up laughing and went on his merry way to find… Read more »
“Never Ever Give” , when clear intentions are fraudulet/deceiving…
The Rebbe had not only Ahavas Yisroel, but also Love for every creation on this earth, jewish or not. Whats wrong with helping someone out, even if they’re not jewish?
Unfortunately I was tricked in as well. Was thinking of it when I read this post. Thanks for sharing.
BH. One should give, even to a goy, this leads to peace.
me too
We had a similar story in the train station in Manhattan- one erev Shabbos a frum looking man approached my husband with a story that his car was towed and he needed cash to get it out of the pound and get home to Westchester before Shabbos. He promised to pay him back and gave a name and phone number. My husband called me after the fact and the details of the story rang a bell, so I googled it and sure enough, found a few reports of the same person with different names and details. (Unfortunately it was too… Read more »
I was one of this man’s victims. I think he is still at it.
https://collive.com/show_news.rtx?id=34192&alias=known-con-artist-still-at-work
I often wonder if quite a few of those asking are Jewish…..
She is not Jewish?
thank you for sharing