Driving Chessed All Around Town - Kosher Meals on Wheels

Published in the NCJW/GDS Newslink Winter/Spring 2013, with the following introduction:

Last summer, a recent high school student graduate, Dovid Nissan Roetter, came to the Prentis Apartments kitchen to fill in for the mashgiach for a week. The role of the mashgiach is to "supervise the kashrut status of a kosher establishment." When a young person either volunteers or observes our Kosher Meals on Wheels (KMOW) program, i often wonder - "what are they thinking?"
Well, Dovid answered that question for me by transferring his thoughts to paper in a special way. I hope you enjoy his poem as much as I did when he surprised me with it, and I hope it inspires you to join our KMOW volunteer team. Contact Richard Emmer at 248-967-0967 or meals@ncjwgds.org.


I’m sitting here watching,
The cooking and the packaging.
Delicious food all around,
Being delivered all over the town.

People waiting to eat,
These yummy packages that just can’t be beat.
Everyone working selflessly,
To help a fellow person in need.

It’s Meals On Wheels at its best,
100% dedication – not a drop less.
From the chefs to the drivers, and all in between,
You all make such an amazing team.

It’s hard to truly understand what chessed means,
Especially when you’re still just a teen.
But watching such a project, you just learn,
That there’s a person in need around every turn.

Day in, day out, you do so much good,
Not one complaint have I heard.
You enjoy what you do and I think that’s great,
And you do your best to not be late.

The smile on your face is shining,
And it passes onto the recipient’s when they are dining.
Meals On Wheels, you teach a lesson to everyone,
Chessed’s around the corner – let’s have fun.

To everyone who helps Meals On Wheels in any way,
I would like to thank you for the opportunity to learn so much about
the proper way to do chessed: the attitude, the love, the care, the desire,
and the joy of making someone smile.

You are all part of such an amazing team. May you each have much
success in all that you choose to accomplish.
Keep driving those smiles around!
May you someday light up the world one meal at a time.

Thank you for all that you have taught me this past week,
Dovid Nissan Roetter

Yeshiva Life

Your mattress gets flipped,
It’s time to get up.
Say Modeh Ani and wash your hands,
Then into the mikvah you dip.

You slowly get dressed,
Wipe the gunk from your eye.
As you pull on your roommate’s sock,
You decide ‘Today I’m going to do my best!’

Welcome to Yeshiva Life,
A place where you can grow.
You’ll meet weird people,
Please ignore the strife.

Tanya is the first class,
It talks about our soul.
Maybe if you weren’t half asleep,
The subject would be a blast.

Then off you are to pray and eat,
We are not quite sure what it is.
Just hold your nose and swallow fast,
And try to not inhale the smell of dirty feet.

Yeshiva Life is very interesting,
By now I’m sure you can tell.
We have a strange way of doing things,
And of course there can be some bickering.

Niglah and Halachah,
These classes get confusing.
While one says you make a Mezonos,
The other claims a different brachah.

And let’s not leave out English Studies,
You’d think they would be easy.
But let me just warn you,
Not all teachers want to be your buddy.

Well I guess that just about covers it all,
Lights out – no Ipods!
Yeshiva Life is not for the faint of heart,
But do not worry – there are plenty of ways to have a ball.

A Wall's Plea

A wall of stones,
So tall and strong,
Was once one of four.
Oh, they had a special job,
They surrounded Hashem’s house.

To our dismay,
The Romans did come,
And they knocked down all but one.
Hashem’s house has been breached,
The Romans burnt it down.

Yet there’s one wall still remaining,
Strong it still does stand.
Collecting the tears of our people.
It knows in its heart that one day soon,
It will surround Hashem’s house once again.

Bnei Yisroel, please,
Help me be restored to my former glory,
Surrounding Hashem’s house like before.
All I need from you,
Is to be one.

One nation doing Hashem’s will,
And one family working all together.
For I know someday soon,
My brothers will be rebuilt,
And together we will work again.

I have kept all of your tears,
I’ve heard all of your cries,
And I bring them to Hashem each and every day.
There’s not much left to do, I know,
For Moshiach is speedily on his way.

Beraishes Bara Elokim

Young Shmulie walked into the room,
His little eyes dancing with joy.
His very first day of yeshiva has begun.

He looks around in excitement,
So many kids are there.
He wonders what he will learn this year.

His rebbie walks up to the front,
“Kinderlach please forever know:
Beraishis bara Elokim.

Hashem created you and I, and everything we see,
Nothing can stop you from being a jew.
You are so dear to Hashem, no matter what you do.”

As the years fly by,
Shmulie dropped out of school.
He leaves his old life behind.

His kippa falls off,
His peyos are chopped.
He believes nothing remains.

He meets new friends,
Has a new way of life.
Young Shmulie has changed, Sammy is his new name.

Sadly, things go bad,
He winds up in a gang.
Next thing you know he’s received 5 years.

One day he receives a visitor,
And old man with a white beard.
“Shmulie”, he says, “I think you’ve forgot:
Beraishes bara Elokim.

Hashem created you and I, and everything we see,
Nothing can stop you from being a jew.
You are so dear to Hashem, you can change.
It’s up to you.”

The Rebbie turns to leave,
Then slowly looks back.
“Shmulie, I know you can.”

Shmulie slowly returns,
Back to his old life.
Memories rush back, everything becomes clear.

Now he is called Rabbi Shmuel,
And he slowly walks to the front.
“Kinderlach, please forever know:
Beraishes bara Elokim.

Hashem created you and I, and everything we see,
Nothing can stop you from being a jew.
You are so dear to Hashem, and you can always return home.”