The Shovels

Ever since I was a little kid in the bungalow colony, we were always building something. Old carriage wheels, loose boards, and rusty nails were all we needed to construct a go-cart. Home Depot? Better than any museum. I could spend hours going up and down the aisles just gawking at the array of gizmos we could use to build and fix things. One of my mottos is, “Why hire someone else when you can do it yourself (and save money)?”

The idea to launch a formal tool gemach in my neighborhood was the brainstorm of my friend and fellow rebbi — Rabbi Yehudah Mayerfeld. He established the Monsey tool gemach a number of years ago as an extension of his inclination toward DIY (do it yourself). When we would meet in the teachers’ room for a short breakfast, we often found ourselves sharing our most recent home improvement projects.

It wasn’t long before he urged me to start a similar tool gemach in Far Rockaway. I initially balked, as I simply didn’t have the room for more than the stash of tools I already possessed. Besides, I was already becoming an unofficial tool gemach, as the neighbors learned that my existing tools were always available for them. My resistance broke down when Yehudah offered to pay for the initial additional items to stock a real tool gemach. So it became official. The most common tool request, aside from the regular screwdrivers, hammers, and pliers, would have to be the pole-extending tree pruner around Succos time. Although not quite a tool, our bicycle pump has made our house the official pumping station for bikes and basketballs on the block.

I have had some really interesting requests — jackhammer?! I was afraid to ask what it was needed for. (We don’t have one!) Pick-axe to bury the pet bird?! (Yes, we do have one).