It was not all that long ago that I was a high school student. Recently, I found Yaakov Tzion Rubinov and Daniel Yusupov, two recent Yeshiva Sha’arei Zion elementary school graduates, hard at work organizing their latest endeavor: KGH Chesed. Previously, the soon-to-be high school bachurim launched TorahInfo, a platform they use to disseminate inspiration on Judaism, taking a page from organizations like TorahAnytime and Chazaq. The duo has hosted Rabbis Ephraim Ben Mordechai, Gavriel Elbaz, Yisroel Kaikov, Yaniv Meirov, Hershel Praeger, Menashe Tzadka, and others.
Their latest venture is reminiscent of the Chevra, an offshoot of Chaverim that existed mostly in Kew Gardens, where boys would help their peers fix flat tires on bicycles and the like. Rubinov and Yusupov have gone a step beyond, offering their services to set up events, move packages, take on light handiwork like mini construction projects, conduct local food shopping for seniors, and of course fix flat tires on bikes. They are truly a light for the Kew Gardens Hills community, where their completely free efforts are centric.
Just this past week, the group, which operates on walkie-talkies, got a call from an elderly person in the neighborhood who was delighted to have the boys come by to move a reclining chair from one room to another; they also returned a shopping cart to Seasons Supermarket.
Those in need in the KGH area should dial the hotline at 646-634-6700 between 3 p.m. and 8 p.m. daily. It’s manned by Ariel Gurzhiev, a friend of the founders. Volunteers are encouraged to call or text 646-737-5890.
By Shabsie Saphirstein
