During a meeting last Thursday with Reb Duvi Honig, founder and director of Parnassah Network , Rav Yisroel Belsky shlit”a, the renowned Rosh Yeshiva of Yeshiva Torah Vodaath, spent over an hour discussing his family’s little known history helping yidden with parnassah.

Rav Belsky’s paternal grandfather and namesake, Reb Yisroel Belsky a”h, immigrated to American shores and began his work in the textile industry by collecting buttons on the streets. He eventually built a highly successful tufted cotton manufacturing company based in Georgia, which employed approximately 5,000 people.

With this amazing success, Reb Yisroel turned himself into a one-man powerhouse helping his fellow Jews, particularly immigrants, succeed in Parnassah. He eagerly dispensed free business advice and did everything he can to help these Jews build successful businesses or land good jobs. Reb Yisroel’s impact was so powerful that the “Pushgat” organization on the East Side, which was aimed at helping yidden with Parnassah, ended up closing down due to a lack of need.

Rav Belsky’s father a”h followed in these footsteps and his home became known as a fortress of chessed in the East Side.

“This is the need of our generation,” the Rosh Yeshiva exclaimed, especially when it comes to Parnassah resources for yungerleit transitioning from Kollel to the workforce. He added that since our community and its successful business infrastructure are infinitely larger than they were in his grandfather’s days, the potential success of a community based Parnassah network is so much greater.

Parnassah Network recently boosted its staff size in order to meet the clamor for help coming from across the country. Reb Duvi’s vision for the future is that every Jewish community will have its own Parnassah Network infrastructure, just as communities have their own Hatzolah and Tomchei Shabbos branches. This broad vision can only be realized if community leaders and philanthropists in various communities step up and join this effort.

The Rosh Yeshiva wholeheartedly endorsed Reb Duvi’s vision, and offered to personally help him carry it out for the future. At the meeting, Reb Duvi showed Rav Belsky a copy of the new Sefer Parnassah K’Halacha, a Sefer in Hebrew and English that elucidates Shulchan Aruch Choshen Mishpat and its practical applications in a historically clear manner. It was compiled and published by a special Machon, staffed by leadingtalmidei chachamim and professional writers, that is a branch of Parnassah Network.

At the conclusion of the meeting, Rav Belsky penned a distinctly enthusiastic letter hailing Reb Duvi’s work, and Sefer Parnassah K’Halacha in particular. “Reb Dovid’s vision of a kosher, honorable source of livelihood for the Torah public provides a program for proper guidance,” the Rosh Yeshiva concluded. “Reb Dovid Honig,ashrei chelkecha.”