Sam Domb Gives Again

By COLlive reporter

It appears that Jewish philanthropist Sam Domb is making the Crown Heights Jewish community a regular beneficiary of his generosity.

Like in the previous year, Domb gave a large donation ahead of the Sukkos holiday to 100 needy Crown Heights families, COLlive was told.

The National Committee for Furtherance of Jewish Education (NCFJE), which will be distributing the funds, would not specify the exact amount of the donation.

In the past, the holocaust survivor and owner of the Empire Hotel Group has given donations in the tens of thousands to NCFJE.

Domb released the following statement: “I would like to recognize the NCFJE and their outstanding work with the Jewish poor. My gift is simply my way of helping their efforts to bring some relief to poor families.

“Crown Heights is a unique place, and it’s my honor to contribute to their simchat yom tov. I hope that others will take to heart how important it is for Jewish people to help one another and to be extremely careful to give tzedaka.”

Domb is well-known for his activism on behalf of Israel and Jewish causes. In recent years he has been making a habit of making last-minute donations to needy families in Crown Heights.

He was a long-time friend of Rabbi JJ Hecht OBM and with his son, who heads today the NCFJE, Rabbi Shea Hecht. Domb’s daughter Michelle and sons Ron and Jay are currently active donors with the organization.

KAPPAROS TRIUMPH

In related news, the NCFJE managed to both feed and fund those in need for yom tov thanks to the kapparos service they annually organize since the 1970s.

“We are very grateful to the whole community for turning out to support kapparos,” said Rabbi Shea Hecht, notwithstanding the challenges of higher operations costs and a flu-like virus that rendered chickens treif.

“We weren’t so certain what would happen this year because of the disease that was hitting the flocks, but baruch Hashem it was successful.

“We are very, very grateful to all those who took part. Not everyone knows that we distribute both kapparos money and chickens to the poor. By observing the minhag, Crown Heightsers are also doing a big mitzvah for their neighbors.”

According to Rabbi Hecht, several thousands of dollars were given to local families for their yom tov needs, and kapparos chickens are being used by guests of Vaad Hatmimim who eat in the Hadar HaTorah dining room.

Recently, a flu-like disease know as the reovirus has been afflicting birds on the East coast, including chicken farms, rendering large numbers of birds treif. The effect the reovirus would have on kapparos was not clear. Hecht estimated that some 400 birds were found treif from the virus.