The chesed of Klal Yisrael spans continents
Last week, Rabbi Naftali Miller, Agudath Israel’s National Director of Development, received a phone call from a number with a 972 area code, signifying a call from Israel. The caller identified herself as Mrs. Gottlieb, a resident of Jerusalem’s Old City.
“Is this Rabbi Naftali Miller?” she wanted to know. When Rabbi Miller answered affirmatively, Mrs. Gottlieb seemed relieved. She explained that her husband had found a wallet in one of the neighborhood’s winding alleyways. He opened it, intent on fulfilling the mitzvah of hashavas aveidah, but while there was an American license and some credit cards inside, there were no contact details.
Mr. Gottlieb had brought the wallet home, and he and his wife carefully looked through it, hoping to find a way to reach the owner. When she found Rabbi Miller’s business card, she tentatively dialed the number.
Rabbi Miller wasn’t familiar with the name on the license and asked what the listed address was. When Mrs. Gottlieb told him it was Lawrence, New York, he quickly reached out to his good friends, Lawrence residents Gadi and Shabsi Fuchs, who spread the word around the neighborhood. In a short time, the wallet’s owner was located and arrangements were made for the lost item to be returned to its rightful owner, who had recently relocated from Lawrence to Israel.
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