We are all looking forward with great anticipation to the annual Erna Lindenfeld Hachnasas Kallah Tea to be held on Monday evening, December 5, at 7:30 p.m. The Tea has been a Queens hallmark event for decades, providing our community with the opportunity to give tz’dakah to a most worthy local cause, while enjoying incredible entertainment and amazing raffle prizes.
The evening will be held live at the Young Israel of Kew Gardens Hills and via Zoom for those who prefer the comfort of their homes. Parking will be available at YCQ.
This year’s program promises to be extraordinary, as it will both honor the memory of our beloved former President, Rebbetzin Shifra Witty a”h, and provide unparalleled musical entertainment by renowned, dynamic singer Bracha Jaffe. It will feature brief greetings from our Master of Ceremonies, Rabbi Moshe Bamberger, and messages from both the Lindenfeld family and our sponsors, the Witty family. The Witty Family will also share a special video presentation created exclusively for this event in memory of Mrs. Shifra Witty a”h, and of course, the drawing of our fabulous raffle prizes will round out the evening.
This year’s Annual Tea is dedicated through the generosity of Jeff & Dassy Ganz, Moshe & Chanie Metzger, Chaim Shaul & Ettie Zelmanowitz, and Rabbi Noach & Shalva Witty, in loving memory of their mother, Mrs. Shifra Witty. The name “Shifra Witty” is synonymous with education and chesed in the Queens Jewish community.
Mrs. Witty was the beloved wife of Rabbi Shlomo Witty z”l, revered principal of Samuel H. Wang High School for Girls in Queens. Morah Shifra was the cherished teacher of hundreds of pre-school children at the Young Israel of KGH Early Childhood program. Our treasured president, Mrs. Witty, held leadership positions in many local tz’dakah organizations, but her heart found its home with the Erna Lindenfeld Hachnosas Kallah Fund of Queens. Mrs. Witty led with excellent administrative and interpersonal skills, and she had love and compassion for every chasan and kallah. For more than 25 years, she took the organization to be internationally renowned, and millions of dollars were distributed during her tenure. Our community continues to miss her warmth, her encouragement, and her beautiful smile.
The Erna Lindenfeld Hachnosas Kallah Fund of Queens has one objective, to enable our community and beyond to fulfill the mitzvah of Hachnasas Kallah, sharing in the mitzvah of being m’samei’ach chasan v’kallah and building batim ne’emanim b’Yisrael.
Imagine the mother of eight who has been deserted by her husband and has to marry off a child.
Imagine a family from Gush Katif who was forcibly evicted from their home and is struggling financially and emotionally as they try to marry off a child.
Imagine a baalas t’shuvah whose family has rejected her, trying to make her own wedding.
Imagine the daughter or son of a victim of terror in Israel going to the chupah without any family assistance.
Just imagine a family right here in Queens with six children. The father has lost his job, the mother must stay at home to take care of a sick child, and they’re struggling to marry off a son or daughter.
All these and more are typical of the ever-increasing volume of cases that the Erna Lindenfeld Hachnosas Kallah Fund board receives and verifies each month from chasanim and kallos located in Queens and in Eretz Yisrael. Each case must come from a reliable source and is carefully considered on an individual basis according to its unique circumstances. It is your caring and contributions that allow us to respond positively and help make the lives of these families just that little bit easier, and to let them know that klal Yisrael is there for them so they can make their simchah b’simchah. Thank you.
For those who are not aware of our origins, our organization is named after an incredible eishes chayil, Erna Lindenfeld a”h. She was a remarkable woman whose innate kindness, compassion for others, and tremendous determination to defy all odds by surviving the Holocaust, gave her the strength to rebuild her life, marry her beloved husband Marcel, and bring four wonderful sons into this world. She carried herself with grace and dignity, and it was her warmth and sincerity that endeared her to all who knew her. Unfortunately, Erna was taken from her adoring family and community at a young age. After Erna’s p’tirah, her dear friend, Rebbetzin Ruth Schonfeld a”h, perpetuated her memory by creating an organization that would personify Erna’s dedication to the continuity of klal Yisrael.
The Hachnosas Kallah Fund board itself is comprised of a diverse group of women, representing the kaleidoscope of Queens and klal Yisrael. We daven in different shuls, are of different ages, and come from different backgrounds. Nevertheless, our devotion to the organization and our achdus is amazing, as we meld our hearts together to fulfill the mitzvah of Hachnasas Kallah and preserve the confidentiality and dignity of each family.
Please join the Erna Lindenfeld Hachnosas Kallah Fund family, partner with us in fulfilling the mitzvah of Hachnasas Kallah, and share in the z’chus of this incredible mitzvah!
We look forward to seeing everyone at our exciting Tea on Monday, December 5, at 7:30 p.m. Please join us for an inspiring and entertaining evening with incredible raffles!
For donations via QuickPay/Zelle, please send to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. and note your raffle selections.
For donation, raffles, and Zoom information, or to donate using PayPal or credit card, please visit our website: www.Hkqueens.org.
If you have any questions, please phone or text 917-943-9663 or 917-374-2578. Checks can be mailed to 137-37 71st Avenue, Flushing, NY 11367.