Pnina Souid

The connections of hesed made by the Mitzvah Man Organization defy space, time, and place. One extended family’s story is proof of this.

It Started with a Washer and Dryer

A woman named Sarah called the Mitzvah Man hotline in Lakewood, NJ. She said, “We are a large family and have no washer and dryer. Would it be possible for the Mitzvah Man Organization to provide us with these appliances please?”

The Mitzvah Man volunteer told Sarah to fill out the required legal forms and if she was approved the washer and drier would be delivered. And so, it was! The family was immensely grateful.

Request for a Special Delivery

Months later, a woman named Rivka called the hotline from Israel. She explained that she and her family had made aliya, and her 92-year-old father, Mr. Goldstein, was in the U.S., and was planning to attend her son’s bar mitzvah. Rivka noted why it was especially meaningful that her father attend. The bar mitzvah boy had been critically ill with a life-threatening illness when he was two years old. Baruch Hashem, he recovered and now would be celebrating his bar mitzvah. The family desperately wanted the bar mitzvah boy’s grandfather to be there. However, the grandfather had never traveled alone before. Would it be possible for a Mitzvah Man volunteer pick him up, take him to the airport, and stay with him until the airport personnel took over (where people not flying were not allowed)?

A text message was sent out to all the volunteers and was quickly answered by Eli. He was given all the details and he responded, “I would be happy to do this mitzvah.”

The Mitzvah Man Organization informed Rivka that a volunteer would meet her father at his home, would take him with his luggage to the airport, and would stay with him until the airport personnel took over. Eli performed his part of this special mitzvah without a hitch. 

A “Chance” Encounter

On the plane, Mr. Goldstein began chatting with the man seated next to him. Mr. Goldstein told his seat partner that he had never traveled alone before, and he was worried about getting off the plane, having to find his luggage, and then finding his family members that were coming to pick him up. 

The man asked him, “How did you manage to come to the airport and deal with all the variables on the home end?”

“Very simply. There is an organization called The Mitzvah Man. My daughter called them from Israel. One of their volunteers picked me up from home and made sure that I would get on the plane without any problems.”

“Why, I am a volunteer for the Mitzvah Man Organization, too! Mr. Goldstein, you have nothing to worry about. Once we arrive at Ben Gurion Airport, I will help you through customs and will stay with you to retrieve your luggage, and to greet your family. I am sure they are looking forward to seeing you and taking you home with them.”

“I don’t believe this! Hashem is really taking care of me,” Mr. Goldstein exclaimed.

All went well for Mr. Goldstein and his new friend, one of the many Mitzvah Man volunteers who just might pop up any place.

But, the story doesn’t end here.

A Family Affair

Once Mr. Goldstein was settled his daughter Rivka called her sister in Lakewood to let her know that their father was fine.

Rivka’s sister asked her how their father made it to the airport in New York and managed to get on the plane. Rivka answered, “I called the Mitzvah Man Organization. They sent a wonderful volunteer who was with our father until airlines personnel took over. On the plane he had such hashgaha pratis. He was sitting next to a man who turned out to be a Mitzvah Man volunteer. We met him when we came to pick our father up.”

“The Mitzvah Man Organization helped you? Wow! This is the organization that provided us with the washer and dryer we needed so badly,” said Rivka’s sister, Sarah.

The sisters were astounded. Rivka emailed the Mitzvah Man to tell him how his organization was there for them – from the family in Lakewood, to New York, to Israel.

This family’s story is just one example of the far-reaching hesed of the Mitzvah Man organization. 

Nothing feels better than using one’s knowledge, experiences, and talents to support another woman’s quest for success. Nobody knows this better than Lois Sutton, Esq. and Sandra Nasser Maxwell.  Sandy progressed from being a part-time administrative assistant in Lois’ law office (Lois D. Sutton LLC) to having a full-time position as a certified paralegal with the firm in just two-and-a-half years.

Sandy’s Road to Success

This is their PROPEL mentorship success story.

After getting divorced in 2018, Sandy moved to New Jersey. Although she had an associate’s degree in music from Kingsborough Community College, Sandy never had the opportunity to use her training professionally. In 2019, Lois D. Sutton hired Sandy as a part-time administrative assistant for her law office, handling the front desk and performing other secretarial tasks.

“Last month, I completed my paralegal certificate program with honors as a member of Phi Beta Kappa, having maintained a position on the Dean’s list for the duration of my studies at Brookdale Community College,” gushed Sandy when asked about her journey.

The magic ingredient in this story is the power of mentorship and the role it played and continues to play. You never know when an opportunity will arise. Sandy began working at the offices of Lois D. Sutton, Esq., two-and-a-half years ago. If Sandy had not taken the part-time receptionist secretarial job at the firm, she never would have experienced this chance to change her life. 

At 59 years old, Sandy continues to work hard to improve herself every day. She truly believes that her maturity and life experience brings value to her employer. “I’ve learned to go out of my comfort zone to succeed in life. For me, it meant adding school to an already busy schedule.” Sandy is happy that throughout this journey she made sure to be there for her family, although she did have to minimize her social life. “I was working two jobs and going to school. I was driven to reach my goal because I knew once I finished my training and could begin working in a professional capacity, I would be able to support myself AND continue to be there for my two grown sons and daughter-in-law.”  In other words, the hard work was well worth the sacrifice. Sandy contrasts her vision of the future with what it felt like to be newly divorced and financially vulnerable. “It was a constant struggle, juggling jobs and trying to make ends meet. Today, I feel accomplished. I’m a professional and I love the security of knowing I can support myself,” she says.

“I cannot commend Sandy enough for her diligence and persistence in reaching her goal,” says Lois, her employer and mentor. “I am grateful to PROPEL for enabling and empowering her to do it.  I am proud of Sandy and look forward to her continued growth in the paralegal field,” continues Lois.

Lois Sutton Steers Community Women to Paralegal Field

Lois Sutton is a sole practitioner in New Jersey who brings four decades of experience to her legal practice, both academically and professionally. She specializes in wills, trusts, estate planning, probate, real estate, and business law.  Lois earned her Bachelor of Science at Brooklyn College and graduated Magna Cum Lauda from the Rutgers School of Law-Newark, after she had married and had her first two children.  Lois held positions as in-house counsel for what is now Wells Fargo Bank, was the Endowment Director for Jewish Federation of Monmouth County, and worked as an attorney for several well-established law firms before opening her own legal practice eleven years ago. Her experience has allowed her to successfully represent the interests of generations of community families with a wide range of legal needs. Lois acknowledges the support of her husband and family throughout. 

“I’ve been trying to steer community women into the paralegal profession for years because it’s a lucrative, very rewarding  career and many times it can be structured with flexibility in mind,” says Lois.

Paralegals are in high demand in New Jersey, New York, and elsewhere. Being a  paralegal is a  dynamic profession. A paralegal can work part-time, full-time, or per diem, in an office or remotely.  The paralegal is typically the first person a new client speaks with, maintaining this relationship, often meeting with the client and making sure the client is kept informed and the file is moved forward expeditiously.  A paralegal has many responsibilities: handling the court and appointment calendar and deadlines, maintaining the files, and reviewing and preparing documents and other materials under the supervision of an attorney.  “If Sandy doesn’t do her job, I can’t do mine,” says Lois. 

An experienced paralegal can build her own practice or service providing support for other law offices and even supervise other paralegals. As Lois further explains, “A paralegal can also specialize in the type of law and office that interests her most: fast-paced litigation in a large firm, real estate and contracts for a solo practitioner, and everything in between.”

Mentoring as the Magic Ingredient

So, how did Sandy go from getting hired as a part-time receptionist-secretary to become a full-time paralegal? MENTORING is the answer. Lois says that when she first hired Sandy, she immediately recognized her aptitude. She was intelligent, inquisitive, conscientious, had a great phone manner and client rapport, and she was eager to learn and acquire new skills.  With the retirement of the office’s long-time paralegal, Sandy was positioned to make the move.

Lois truly enjoys being a mentor.  Over the years, she has met with and guided many community members interested in becoming lawyers, paralegals, and legal assistants. She finds immense gratification helping a person move forward. Therefore, it was natural for Lois to encourage Sandy to  engage with PROPEL. The rest, as the saying goes, is history. 

For her part, Sandy is thankful and appreciative. She describes her mentor as being generous and informative, sharing in-depth context that helps her understand what is behind the tasks she is asked to perform. “I come to the office every day with a smile on my face, ready to proceed with the work at hand,” says Sandy. She says the work is never routine, which keeps the work interesting and fulfills her desire to keep learning new things. She especially enjoys assisting clients, building rapport, and keeping them updated. Mentorship plays a continual role in this relationship because Sandy is new to the profession. A  portion of their daily interactions as lawyer and paralegal is specifically and intentionally dedicated to mentorship.

PROPEL’s Mentorship Program Is a Game Changer

Thanks to a grant that PROPEL received from the UJA Federation of New York, PROPEL’s “Weaving a Network: Women Helping Women” mentorship program was established. The goal of the program is to help women in a variety of professions to form these mentorship relationships, to support each other, and to expand their career opportunities. Supervised by PROPEL’s educational consultant, Gitta Neufeld, the first groups are actively engaged in team-building and mentoring. Lois believes that this new mentorship program at PROPEL will have an enormous impact on our community. “The hardest thing about identifying and traveling down a career path is finding a mentor,” says the attorney.  “PROPEL’s mentorship program is a game changer.”

“I am very excited to be part of this initiative and look forward to using my experience and contacts in the legal world to benefit our mentees,” states Lois. And as for Sandy, she says,  “Bless PROPEL and the new Mentorship program. PROPEL made this positive change possible.”

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If you are interested in joining PROPEL’s cohort of mentors in PROPEL’s “Weaving a Network: Women Helping Women” program or being paired with a mentor, please email PROPEL at Info@thePropelNetwork.org.