New York Jews Receive Rabbinic Dispensation to Send Emergency Supplies to Montreal during Passover.

It was already nighttime on the second evening of Passover when Yossi Margaretten got a call while he was sitting at his family's seder table.

Margaretten took a quick look at her phone to check the caller's identity during a holiday. She worked as the head of Chaverim of Rockland, an association of volunteers who help ensure emergency-safety for the Jewish community in suburban New York. It was a common occurrence for her to receive calls from the local police force and Hatzalah, a Jewish volunteer ambulance service.

On this occasion, the telephone communication was initiated by Chaverim of Montreal, which is located several hundred miles away.

Margaretten answered the phone promptly. Even though as an Orthodox Jew he refrains from using electronic devices on Shabbat and holidays, he understood that it must be a significant matter if his Canadian colleagues were reaching out to him, and he was willing to make an exception for an emergency.

A severe ice storm recently struck the city, causing many trees and electrical lines to fall. Due to this, the people of Montreal were left without power, grappling with temperatures as low as 20 degrees Fahrenheit. With many requests for emergency aid pouring in, Chaverim of Montreal had to reach out to New York for help.

Margaretten shared with JNS that in Canada, many seniors, ill individuals, and recent mothers with infants have been without electricity for 36 hours. Margaretten reported being informed that the situation has not improved and that generators are needed to resolve the issue. Despite searching for generators in the nearby area, Margaretten was unable to locate any, as they were all already in use.

The Rockland Chaverim had a warehouse stocked with essential items such as portable heaters and generators, and they were more than willing to offer assistance. However, Margaretten wasn't able to act as quickly as he usually would on a regular day due to the holiday.

Margaretten requested his colleague from Canada to get in touch with the rabbi who offers religious advisement to their organization, in order to learn about managing the essential preparations for the Passover period.

Chaverim of Rockland has a group of rabbis who advise them, but Margaretten needed someone in Montreal who was knowledgeable about the situation there and could make an accurate assessment based on personal experience. The Montreal rabbi reported that the situation was extremely urgent and people's lives were in danger.

Everyone was in a hurry...

Chaverim possessed the necessary items but lacked a trailer. Therefore, Margaretten got in touch with the emergency services of New Square, a Chassidic community in Rockland County, N.Y. Luckily, a trailer was at hand.

After an hour, 40 generators, extension cords, and several heaters were prepared for use. Two members who were not Jewish but were a part of the community's Shabbat security patrol were moved by what they witnessed and offered to operate the truck.

Representatives from Chaverim of Rockland transported a trailer on the New York State Thruway before meeting security officers who then transported the supplies to Montreal.

After successfully sending the items, Margaretten made his way back home at 2 a.m. to finish his seder without any worries about the goods.

In the middle days of the Passover, when electronic devices are allowed, I received a phone call that made me realize the situation on a personal level.

One of Margaretten's relatives, who had elderly family members, was visiting Montreal during the holiday season. They managed to keep themselves warm by using a movable heater. While doing so, they observed a label on the heater that had the name of Chaverim of Rockland written on it.