Jewish American Heritage Month

Posted By richards on May 2, 2014

Helene Bortz has just arrived. Shes in high spirits, exuding a joie de vivre and a sense of purpose, the kind that undoubtedly got her to where she is today. As she warmly greets her business partner of five years, Myrice Goldberg, a woman who seems reserved and low key in comparison, one can soon see how well they complement each other.

Bortz and Goldberg, 2014 Jewish American Heritage Month Local Hero honorees, run the Jewish Gift Closet, a non-profit organization which isn't so much a closet as it is a full service that helps those in need in a multitude of ways. The first of its kind in San Diego, its purpose is rooted in the Jewish tradition of "gmach," an acronym for a Hebrew term meaning deeds of loving kindness.

Gmach has to do with the Jewish values that tell us how to give, and this is something we do that is very different from other charities, explains Bortz, director and founder of the organization, who is of French origin. The Jewish philosophyand it's written in the Torahsays you must give the person whom you're giving, more than you would give yourself. You have to give better than what you'd keep for yourself. We take pride in that. Not just give. Give good.

The Jewish Closet helps Jewish families with whatever they need--whether it be clothing, toiletries, toys, and assistance with paying the rent, getting the car fixed or even in finding a job. Bortz and Goldberg also organize outings for children to local theme parks and attractions.

Each year, over 250 people come to the Jewish Gift Closet, despite a cultural disinclination to seek assistance.

Jews are very reluctant to ask for help, observes Goldberg, the Jewish Gift Closets treasurer who hails from South Africa. For a lot of them, it's recently that they've needed help but it's not in the culture to ask for it. You provide for yourself. You do the best that you can. They don't feel comfortable with it but when they come here, there's a sense of comfort. We don't want them to lose their dignity. They tell their stories and they cry. This isn't me. This isn't how I lived, they say. I feel so badly and we try to make them feel at ease. Things happen, you know. We're only human.

Some who come have a learning disorder and haven't been very well provided for by their family, adds Bortz. They are vulnerable and there's no safety net to catch them. We also get a lot of single moms. We see a lot of abused women who have left abusive marriages and need helpclothing for their kids, furnitureand this way we can help in a big way.

We do anything, continues Bortz. This woman came the other day and she was crying. She was a single mom without a job and new to San Diego. So I made some calls to people I know and organized for her an interview for today. Whatever people need we will find it, including medical assistance and emergency help. How do we do it? Well that's the thing. We just do it.

Through their program, Goldberg and Bortz fill a void, and sometimes that means helping someone feel that theyre not on their own and that somebody cares.

Read the original post:
Local Heroes Helene Bortz and Myrice Goldberg Give Good

Category: Jewish American Heritage Month
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