Misaskim Is There When Tragedy Strikes

The death of a loved one is always a traumatic experience. Jewish law requires swift action at a time when people are not functioning at full capacity.

“Recently, when our family was shocked by the sudden death of one of our family members, the services of Misaskim were invaluable. Our home was set up with all that was necessary for the week of shiva within hours. The men providing the services were very competent and compassionate,” said Mrs. S.M.

It’s been five years since Misaskim’s inception and during that time this wonderful organization has become an integral part of the Jewish community. They are a crisis support system that serves as a liaison between our community and government agencies; they provide crisis intervention for bereaved families, but they are best known for their Gemach Nichumim which delivers shiva items such as mats, low chairs, sifrei Torah, coat racks, chairs for shiva visitors, siddurim for both Sephardic and Ashkenazi families, candles, heaters, air conditioners and many other items that a family in grieving might need during the week of shiva. The organization always provides prompt service, making the week of shiva a little bit easier.

Misaskim ensures that the mourner’s home is prepared for shiva. They will also arrange meals for the aveillim when no family members are available to prepare food for them. These services are truly a blessing during such difficult times. Just one phone call is all it takes to have this amazing organization at your service.

In addition to the Gemach Nichumim, they safeguard the dignity of the deceased and offer moral support and assistance during crisis and loss. Throughout life’s darkest moments, Misaskim is a source of light and warmth, encouragement and direction.

When disaster and tragedy strike, this organization  deals with the situation in a professional, efficient manner that is acceptable to the law and respectful to the deceased. During major catastrophes and minor accidents with Jewish casualties, Misaskim will dispatch a team of volunteers to any location in the United States on a moment’s notice.

On January 19th, a delegation of Misaskim personnel met with high-ranking Federal law-enforcement government agencies in their Washington DC offices. Attending the meeting were representatives of the NTSB, the FBI, and the National American Red Cross, the lead organizations who would be in charge of a crisis should a disaster strike this country. The agencies were eager to build a bridge between their agencies and the Jewish community organizations, and look forward to using Misaskim as a platform of communication should a major tragedy strike a Jewish neighborhood.

Government officials on a Federal level, fully understand the needs and sensitivities of the Jewish communities across the United States. During the meeting, time was devoted to discussing what procedures should be taken if there are Jewish victims involved in an aircraft collision/terrorist attack. It’s important to note, that in the Continental Airlines crash of 2009, and the mid-air collision between a chopper and a small airplane over the Hudson River in the summer of 2009, the aforementioned government agencies were overly accommodating towards the sensitivity and needs of the Jewish victims. These groups worked together with Misaskim and various other volunteer Jewish organizations as well. The agencies were highly impressed that a volunteer organization like Misaskim, was so well-established, with mobile command centers and numerous rapid-response vehicles, all outfitted for any type of tragedy, and had hundreds of highly-trained volunteers ready to be mobilized at a moment’s notice.

Misaskim and the attending agencies committed to keep in touch with each other, and although everyone hopes their services are never needed, should tragedy  strike, they pledged to work closely with each other.

Should you need their services, call: (718) 854-4548 or 1-877-CHESED-6.