Community Magazine March 2014

28 COMMUNITY MAGAZINE Girls’ Party Dresses Gemach : These sister-in-laws have your little girls covered! With one taking up where the other leaves off, Rivka and Lauren Nakash have dozens of matching dresses for loan during your next special occasion. Not quite wedding appropriate, these dresses wouldmake perfect Shabbat attire and a beautiful choice for a bar mitzvah, sebet or berit . Lauren, who has three girls, knows what it’s like to worry about dressing them for a special day. Two months ago, she started the gemach in the basement of her home on Ave. X, bringing down excess clothes she had from her girls and also some pieces she bought especially for the gemach. Lauren invites people to browse her selection, asking that they call first to set up a time to meet. She charges $25 per ensemble, which goes towards the upkeep of the gemach and the purchase of new dresses. Thanks to an arrangement with her seamstress, included in the fee is the freedom to alter the dress free of charge, making any change that can be reversed for the next person (such as taking it in or adding to the length). Upon receiving the dress back, Lauren takes it to her cleaners, who do the job free of charge. Already, after only two months of operation, Lauren has received many accolades from grateful customers, mothers who were so thankful to have found an easy, inexpensive way to dress their girls. Little Boys Tuxedo Gemach: One year ago, Mazal found herself searching for a tuxedo gemach where she might find something for her toddler son to wear at a family wedding. She didn’t know of any, so she decided to start one herself. Tuxedos and gemachs went hand-in-hand, she felt. What better way than to borrow a get-up her son would only wear for one night? The gemach’s tuxedo outfits come with the shirt, bowtie and cummerbund. Acquiring one is as simple as calling in, telling Mazal what size you need, and then bringing your son with you to try it on. Mazal only asks for a $10 donation that goes towards the dry cleaning. “We have such a giving community,” Mazal enthuses. “People want to help in any way they can.” Mazal is no exception – she’s spared countless people the expense of a one-time outfit, including families arriving from Israel just a few days before the wedding. Berit Gemach: Sisters Sophie Dweck and Renee Sasson began the gemach in memory of their mother, Rachel bat Shefica, in 2003. They felt it was the perfect way to honor the memory of a woman who was always so involved with their children. Sophie and Renee have ensured their gemach is a one-stop- shop for families putting together a berit . They have the Zohar books for the night before, shawls for the grandmothers, and the baby’s outfit, including socks, kippah, pillow and blanket. People borrow all or some of the accessories as needed (sometimes they just take the Zohar books if there is already a sentimental outfit passed down among the family). G e a C h S KELLY JEMAL MASSRY The word “gemach” is an acronym for the Hebrew words, “gemilut hasadim,” performing acts of kindness. Much has been said about how generous our community is – how freely we give of our time, money and energy to help others. In fact, we are beyond generous; we’re innovative, always seeking to fill the gap of need with original and creative ideas. Gemachs – places where community members can go to borrow items they will only need for a short while for free or minimal charge – are just one way we’ve done this in recent years. Now, there are many gemachs covering a wide variety and run with remarkable forethought and professionalism. Here are just a few of the ones we discovered.