Community Magazine April 2012

To volunteer for the mitzvah man go to www.mitzvah -man.org or call 347-275-1490 The Right Heroes for the Job When a new resident at a senior home found that she was much younger than the rest of the residents, she found herself desperately needing companionship from similar- aged peers. A call was made to the Mitzvah Man, but unlike some of the more common requests like driving someone to an appointment, this one required a very specific type of hero. Fortunately, with over 1,000 heroes and counting, the Mitzvah Man was able to find just the right people for the job. Soon enough, the Mitzvah Man heroes and the resident became great friends and the visits proved mutually beneficial for everyone. Alan Magill, Director of Ateret Avot Senior Home Adventures with Big Al Getting a text from Mitzvah Man to do errands with “Big Al” Salem is always exciting. Big Al always does something to make you think he is still part general, part comedian and full-time mayor. Baruch Hashem, he has his faculties about, which enables him to still be self-sufficient even at his age (he won’t say how old he is). When I’m with him, I feel like he’s my psychologist, therapist and counselor. He’ll teach me musar and Arabic all in one trip! There’s never a dull moment. His favorite lines are “Hashem, yishtabah shemo (Gd, may His Name be praised)” and “Gd bless you.” Although sometimes different ailments make it difficult, he still has the drive to go out and do things. He loves life and can’t stand being cooped up all day in an apartment. Big Al is a real inspiration for me and I feel I enjoy our outings more than he does. When we go together, I don’t do errands for him, but with him. When we get in the car together, he tells me that he is not the co-pilot, but the pilot, even though I am driving. But more than anything else, I have learned from his sensitivity and connection to Hashem. On one cold and frigid night, I got a call to check up on him. But when I did, Big Al was more worried about whether I had antifreeze in my radiator then about himself. Steve Nahama “When I get a text to take Big Al somewhere, the pleasure is all mine.” 68 COMMUNITY MAGAZINE