The shaimos abandoned on 48th Street and 19th Avenue in Boro Park in October was taken from Assemblyman Dov Hikind’s office yesterday for proper burial. Assemblyman Hikind has been storing the many bags and boxes of abandoned seforim—as well as 30 pairs of teffilin—since his staff members rescued the abandoned shaimos.

Hikind met yesterday with Rabbi Yosef Schwartz, head of the Prag Yeshiva in Monroe and owner of Beth Genizah in Sullivan County, New York. Schwartz will oversee the burial of this shaimos, along with a large quantity of previously collected shaimos, in a private ceremony that will allow rabbonim to attend and oversee what Schwartz promises is proper, respectful treatment of shaimos. Assemblyman Hikind plans to attend the ceremony.

“For years I have been warning our community members to be careful about who they give their shaimos to,” said Hikind. “I was appalled to see bags of tefillin and Chumashim tossed on the ground along with bags of garbage. Unfortunately, this has happened too many times in our community and elsewhere. Moreover, I for one do not want my shaimos, which contains G-d’s names, to end up in a landfill sandwiched between layers of garbage.

“I have been consulting with our community’s most respected rabbonim about this issue for a long time. We must find a way to address this issue and I’m pleased that Rabbi Schwartz is providing us with a respectful way to treat the shaimos that was recently abandoned in Boro Park.”

Beth Genizah, which recently began collecting shaimos via a new office at 195 Lee Avenue in Williamsburg, also offers a shaimos pick-up service for residents in Boro Park, Midwood and beyond. They can be reached at 347-977-0030.

(YWN Desk – NYC)