Just after the fire, Feuerstein said, "I'm not throwing 3, people out of work two weeks before Christmas," a Malden Mills executive once told the Boston Globe newspaper. Ultimately Feuerstein paid wages to all 1, workers displaced by the fire for 90 days and extended their health benefits.
Many were immigrants from Lawrence and the nearby city of Lowell, Massachusetts. His community was everything to him; from his Jewish community in Brookline, and equally important was the manufacturing community in the Merrimack Valley [of Massachusetts]. Malden Mills was a textile manufacturer in Lawrence, Massachusetts, best known for its line of synthetic fleece products called Polartec. Feuerstein also bucked the trend that saw industrial manufacturing leave the area by rebuilding the family-run factory.
But by then the business had seen a downturn and Feuerstein took it into bankruptcy. Jewish teachings informed how he treated his workers. They are survived by their sons Daniel and Raphael and their daughter Joyce. In Streetwise Hebrew for the Times of Israel Community, each month we learn several colloquial Hebrew phrases around a common theme. These are bite-size audio Hebrew classes that we think you'll really enjoy.
As a former resident of the area, until a few years ago, I know firsthand of only a small portion of the mitzvot that Mr. I attended the Chabad in Andover.
I had no money at the time, but I was welcome at every event they ever sponsored. I wondered, how did they do this? In addition to their great charity towards me, I noticed on many of the programs they ran, the small print, "Sponsored by Aaron Feuerstein.
F began a daily mincha minyan in his factory for the Jews who were encouraged to daven. They lost no wages for this time. I was driving home one wintery day when I passed a huge fire off the highway. I had no idea what it was at the time, but I heard the news reports about the factory that was burning out of control. It was a local tragedy. No one knew what would happen. It was just before Christmas, and the whole area was in gloom and despair. How would they be able to buy for their families, the Christmas presents they planned?
How would they even be able to heat their houses throughout the remainder of the cold snowy northern New England winter? It was a serious and scary time for the entire region, as Mr. F's factory supported a good part of the entire region. You have no idea of the relief and gratitude that people had, when the company announced that they were not only rebuilding the mills, but paying the workers during the down-time. I know that many of the suppliers and end users of his products were inspired by his brave actions and accordingly helped him by placing orders and giving him leniency in their business dealings.
But he alone went out on the limb initially to save his factory, his workers and his town. Kol Hacavod, Mr. You should, please G-d, be rewarded handsomely for your efforts and activities and the example you set for others. I bet He does. As a working man, I can guess those working people were so scared when fire consumed most of the plant,wondering how they were going to feed their kids, keep the house a little while longer, pay the utility bills, not knowing what was going to happen.
Knowing in their gut that most CEO's about Feuerstein do, He did the right thing. He gave all those workers a chance, some breathing room. I bet when those workers are eating their dinner with their families they aren't talking loshon hora about him.
We owe God everything, not a percentage. His reward is guaranteed for the future.. We are in the middle of the story Emunah- trust and faith in God and in the path of the Torah is not limited to time, space or perception. He has demonstrated with pride that commitment to truth is paramount. Even in the face of Bankruptcy. I pray that he will rise agaon to further sanctify and to educate all that the bottom line is Emunah..
With respect to len, I must disagree with his conclusions. Oh, maybe he is right that Mr. Feurstein is a fool, but doesn't the Talmud tell us that a man who is considered a fool for performing righteous actions in the face of "common sense" is especially beloved by G-d? We hear all too often that "morals don't pay in the business world" - from conservatives who should really know better.
Morality is not just a philosophy of "just say no to sex"; ethics are not there to be used only when convenient.
Morality must start at the top and work it's way down. Our world needs more businessmen like Mr. Feurstein and less like the former CEO of General Electric, who prided himself on how many people he laid off at any given time. This was during the depression. He came from a wonderful family. I disagree with the conlusion that one should act for the moment and that this is somehow also for the long term. If someone gives so much more than this to charity that he sacrifices his own, and his family's, well being he is considered a righteous fool.
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