By S. Margolis. When Rabbi Shaya Erps first thought of creating a cadre of volunteers who would respond to nonemergency dilemmas, his friends were less than encouraging: “Nice idea, but it will never work.” But Rabbi Erps didn’t give up so fast, and it worked. So if you’re stuck with a flat tire on your way to catch a plane, or you’re locked out of your house as it begins to snow, you can thank Rabbi Erps when a Chaverim volunteer comes to the rescue

About five years ago,Rabbi Shaya Erps paid my family an unexpected visit when my four-year-old daughter cut her chin while falling out of a swivel chair. We were concerned that she required medical attention, and Hatzolah volunteer Rabbi Erps responded to our call.

“What happened?” he asked my daughter, his wide smile distracting her as he gently examined her injury. “Did you fall into the spaghetti pot in school?”

She giggled through her tears and shook her head. Though usually wary of strangers, Rabbi Erps made her feel comfortable right away, working quickly but gently, and thus, I was not completely surprised when he thoughtfully pulled out a lollipop from his medical bag before heading out the door.

That visit lasted no more than a few minutes, and several years have passed since, but my children still remember the tall, kind man who joked about the spaghetti pot. One doesn’t quickly forget those warm, twinkling eyes and the bright, ever-present smile above the full auburn beard.

Indeed, few people in the wider Monsey community haven’t been touched by the warmth and kindness of Rabbi Shaya Erps in one way or another. Many children have been fortunate to learn kriyah in his class at Yeshiva of Spring Valley or study English in one of his afternoon classes at Bais Mikroh. Others have benefited from his compassionate, professional care during a Hatzolah call or from one of the many services he provides through Chaverim, the organization he founded. And as Chaverim has blossomed and grown, spreading to over a dozen communities across the globe, his vision has reached thousands of Jews worldwide.

Rabbi Erps, 41, is publicity-shy and for years has turned down interview opportunities. But, ever eager for and encouraging of others to open a Chaverim chapter in their own communities, he agreed to share the story of Chaverim’s history and phenomenal growth.

The Dream Since he was a child, Rabbi Erps, who grew up in Monsey where his parents still live, watched them selflessly helping others around them. Though his parents lived in a small house and owned few possessions, their hearts were big enough to include all those who crossed their path. His father would send him, together with his brother, to build the succah of an elderly neighbor before erecting their own. His mother filled her tiny home with shopping bags of clothing, as she helped run a used-clothing gemach. Neither preached about the importance of chesed, but Rabbi Erps learned to be a giver by osmosis.

Rabbi Erps joined Hatzolah of Rockland County in September 1993. After working the territory for some time, he observed that Hatzolah dispatchers regularly received nonemergency calls from people who required help but didn’t know where else to turn. For example, Hatzolah members occasionally transported handicapped individuals up or down steps, and once even chased away rowdy neighborhood kids who had injured a child. But because emergencies took precedence, they were not always available to respond to such calls. Not one to sit idly by after recognizing a community need, Rabbi Erps soon conceived the idea of forming a Code Two Squad.

“Medical emergencies are known as Code One,” he explains, “so I thought that my volunteers could be known as Code Two members.”

At first, Rabbi Erps envisioned this Code Two Squad as an offshoot of Hatzolah, even using the same dispatching system. However, after some discussion with Hatzolah directors, it became clear that there were too many technical complexities involved. It was decided that it would be best to form an organization that operated independently.

After this initial setback, Rabbi Erps continued to encounter resistance. “It’s a great idea,” people told him, “but it’ll never work.” And so, the dream lay dormant, until Rabbi Avi Frank, a fellow Hatzolah member and colleague at Yeshiva of Spring Valley, gave some encouraging words.

“Whatever happened with that idea of yours?” he asked one day. “Are you making any progress?”

And so Rabbi Erps threw himself back into the project, determined to give it another try.

It’s All in the Name Rabbi Erps decided that his first step would be to recruit ten men. “I figured that when there are ten people, there is hashra’as haShechinah and siyata d’Shmaya.”

With his outgoing personality and infectious enthusiasm, he was able to convince nine people to join him, but for weeks, he just couldn’t get that tenth member.

“It was mamash maaseh satan,” Rabbi Erps remembers. “Every person I asked offered another excuse.” Finally he found volunteer number ten. “It was as if I had broken through a dam. I never again had any trouble finding volunteers. I had to persevere, shvitz a little, and show Hashem that I was truly committed. Afterward, things just took off.”

Now that he had his minyan, he needed to clarify exactly what kinds of services the enthusiastic crew would handle. Eventually, Rabbi Erps settled on several main categories: roadside assistance — helping with flat tires, boosts, and gas; transportation — for people who were disabled or stranded; handyman help — assistance with minor plumbing or electrical problems; lockouts — helping people who were locked out of their home or vehicle; and security — assisting when someone was lost or felt threatened by an animal or stranger.

And they still needed a name.

Code Two Squad would not be appropriate since the organization would not be part of Hatzolah. Rabbi Erps then thought of Yad Sheini, a “second hand,” to help those in need. But that was trashed when it reminded people of a bazaar that sold old, secondhand merchandise. The group needed a more upbeat, positive name. What could be better than “Chaverim”?

In July 1999, Chaverim finally began serving the community. Rabbi Erps placed a simple advertisement in a local paper informing readers of Chaverim’s number and free services and invited members of the community to call if they were interested in donating time, skills, tools, or other resources.

For all the prior discouraging remarks, the phone didn’t stop ringing, as people called to offer their services. Some calls were rather bizarre.

“One man explained that he had been the manager at a bungalow colony, and had become quite adept at catching skunks,” recounts Rabbi Erps. “Another person claimed that he was really good at giving haircuts. One muscular guy said he could move heavy stuff. I wrote down every caller’s name, contact information, and area of expertise. One couple, Rabbi and Rebbetzin Scharfer, generously offered us storage space. Now, after more than a decade and two moves, they still store our heaters, wet and dry vacuum cleaners that we use after floods, and other equipment.”

It took a while for people to realize the value of the services. “In the beginning, we were overjoyed when we received three calls a week,” Rabbi Erps admits. “Today, we regularly take three calls in ten minutes.”

However, not only the calls were slow those first couple of months; so was the response time. “It was quite frustrating,” Rabbi Erps says. “Someone would call seeking help with a flat tire, for example. I’d pull up my volunteers list and start calling each one. The first person’s phone was busy. I left a message for the second one. The third answered but said that he was unavailable. And so it went. So much time was wasted until help arrived.”

Everything changed when a friend, Mr. Herschel Kizelnik, approached Rabbi Erps one day. “I want to make a donation l’illui nishmas a family member. What do you need to take your organization to the next level?” he asked.

“Communication.”

Within weeks, Mr. Kizelnik had purchased professional communications equipment, providing Chaverim with 19 radios. Rabbi Erps gave them to his most dedicated and capable members, those who responded most frequently and had the most well-rounded skills.

The transformation was immediate. Now, a volunteer who was close by could show up within five minutes instead of 30. As Chaverim members began working more efficiently, word of the organization spread. Within weeks, the phones were ringing nonstop.

As the calls increased, new volunteers joined to keep up with the growing demand for services. Soon Rabbi Erps was able to identify the most crucial traits for making a successful volunteer. “Chaverim members need three things: good hands, a good heart, and a closed mouth. Our finest members are the ones who are proficient at what they do, work with compassion and sensitivity, and respect the privacy of those they’ve helped. Each time I’d find such a volunteer, I’d ask him to send me friends who are equally geshikt and kind. Thus, through a lot of networking, we grew to include many outstanding members.”

Rabbi Erps shares the story of one memorable Chaverim member. “A rosh yeshivah called one day, telling me that he was inspired by our work and wished to join us in doing chesed. He explained that he would feel uncomfortable changing tires on Main Street, but he hoped he could still contribute by helping inside someone’s home.”

Rabbi Erps doubted that the rosh yeshivah would ever actually respond to a call, but one day he decided to give him a chance. An old baby crib had collapsed, but the owners could not afford to replace it. “Can someone fix the crib so that we can continue using it?” the caller asked.

Rabbi Erps contacted the rosh yeshivah, who jumped at the opportunity to assist the family. He showed up at their home, took off his rekel, and got down on the floor of the children’s bedroom. He proceeded to reassemble the broken crib so that the family could continue using it safely.

But with all that free assistance, Chaverim also encountered some resistance. While some professionals such as locksmiths or electricians were eager to use their skills to help out in an emergency, others resented the fact that Chaverim offered free assistance to potential customers.

“I didn’t ignore those who called to protest,” Rabbi Erps says. “Instead, I discussed the issue with Rabbi Chaim Faivel Schneebalg, whom I had recruited as Chaverim’s rav. Rabbi Schneebalg paskened that we were to continue doing chesed. Of course, a Chaverim member wouldn’t install a Shabbos lock or hang a chandelier, but if someone was locked out or there was an electrical emergency, we would continue providing assistance.

“When someone has a flat tire or is locked out of his car,” Rabbi Erps continues, “he could eventually find someone he could pay to assist him. But with the right tools and expertise, Chaverim members can save him considerable time and aggravation by getting the job done in a matter of minutes. And when the person is heading to a chasunah, or there’s a baby in the car, our response time makes all the difference. Besides, there are many in the community for whom the unexpected expense of paying a professional would really be a hardship.

“We consider ourselves a community ATM machine — to save people aggravation, time, and money.” Read more in this week’s Mishpacha Magazine.