Something about the young girl infront of her on line at Hacker, abutcher shop in Jerusalem, seemed

familiar, although Chaya Hammer hadnever seen her before. Perhaps it was theempty basket slung over an arm coveredby a threadbare sweater sleeve or thelank braids hanging alongside a too-thinface? “She reminds me of myself,” real-ized the older woman in surprise, as hermind whirled back to the distant mem-ories of herself as a young new immi-

grant in the Promised Land.“Next!” The booming voice of the

butcher interrupted Hammer’s reverie.Seeing who was next, the butcherreached under the counter, extracted abag filled with chicken fat and skins andhanded it to the girl. Thanking him, sheturned and left. “Goodness!” Hammerrecalls exclaiming to the butcher as hefilled her weekly order. “That familymust have a lot of dogs or cats to feed!”

“Actually, they have no pets at all,”he replied. “The father is on dialysis,unable to work, and the mother has herhands full trying to care for a large fam-ily on her own. We have been givingthem meat on credit for a long timealready, but their bill now exceeds10,000 lirot, and we simply cannotafford to keep it up. Now we save all the

chicken parts that no one wants; at leastthis way they can have soup and cholentfor their Shabbat meal.”

This was too much for Hammerto hear. “From now on, give that familychicken and ground meat every week—and put it on my bill!” she said.

Some time later, the butcher askedher if she was interested in taking onanother needy family. It never occurredto Hammer to refuse.

Over two decades later, this nine-ty-six-year-old powerhouse is responsi-ble for providing 490 families through-out Israel with their weekly chicken andmeat. Local recipients “buy” what theyneed at Hacker and “charge” it. Forneedy families who live a great distancefrom Hacker, Hammer sends over onehundred checks each month in attrac-

26 JEWISH ACTION Spring 5767/2007

Michelle Borinstein was born in South Africa,moved to the United States and is finally homein Yerushalayim, where she lives with her hus-band and children. She has had numerousarticles and poems published in a variety ofpublications and is currently writing a numberof children’s books.

In 1999, Chaya Hammer wasawarded the coveted Yakir

Yerushalayim award for her contri-bution to the citizens of that city.

TheChicken

Ladyof

JerusalemB y M i c h e l l e B o r i n s t e i n

Spring07Cor4 1/24/07 2:00 PM Page 26

tive cards that wish therecipients “chodesh tov,”a good month. Eventhe stamps she choosesare decorative. By dress-ing up the donation,Hammer believes thatthe recipient will feelthat he is receiving apresent rather than ahandout.

Hammer’s averageweekly butcher billamounts to $1,000.Before the Jewish holi-days, it’s usually$1,500.

“I always workwith the Hacker broth-ers,” says Hammer,who is affectionatelyknown as “Mrs. Chicken Lady.” “I never question the bill; Itrust them implicitly.” Nor has she ever requested a discountfrom the butcher shop. “They’re entitled to make a living too.If I can help them in that way while helping others at thesame time, I feel twice as good!”

Generally, Hammer sends her “clients” directly toHacker, although there are times when the brothers bring herattention to specific cases. The local families have no idea ofthe role she plays in their lives. “I prefer it that way,” saysHammer. “I like the fact that I can go to the butcher, standbehind someone I know I’m helping, yet she has no clue whoI am.” For those outside the local area, she has no choice butto reveal her identity.

Hammer’s cheerful mood dissipates as she shares someof the stories of those she helps. Pulling out an old newspaper,she points to a photograph of a young woman staring forlorn-ly at the camera. Life is a daily struggle for this woman, whowas born without arms or legs. After tracking her down,Hammer began sending her a monthly check, and calls heroccasionally, just to say hello. She has no plans to meet thewoman though. “I think it might embarrass her. [The moneyis] easier to take when you are anonymous.”

In 2000, when terrorists murdered a young couple,Hammer took over some of the financial responsibility forcaring for their eight orphans. When “Shlomo,” a father offifteen, died after falling down four flights of stairs, the widowand her children were “adopted” by the “chicken lady.”

“Miriam” and her father have been receiving a monthlystipend since Hammer learned of their hardship. The crippledman would sit on street corners in Tel Aviv, playing the accor-dion in order to feed himself and his daughter. Not only didHammer take care of them financially, but upon learning ofMiriam’s dream to be a professional violinist, she got hold of a

secondhand violin, had itfixed and then personallytraveled to the city whereMiriam lived to deliver it.

Donors to Hammer’s“chicken fund” come fromall walks of life—Jews andnon-Jews, religious andunaffiliated. Most of thedonors hear aboutHammer’s efforts via wordof mouth, or through arti-cles. People have beenknown to ring her doorbell,hand her an envelope with

money and escape beforeshe can even say thank you.No one has ever requesteda receipt; donors know thatevery penny goes directlyto those who need it.

Hammer personally pays for the hundreds of stamps neededmonthly. “I, too, want to donate to this worthwhile cause,”she explains.

Each donor receives a thank-you letter. As a concessionto Hammer’s arthritis, first-time donors now receive a form

Ninety-six-year-old Hammer manages the files for the 490 families throughoutIsrael to whom she provides chicken and meat every Shabbat.

Spring 5767/2007 JEWISH ACTION 27

Spring07Cor4 1/24/07 2:01 PM Page 27

letter, which is constantly updated. Even so, Hammer alwaystries to add a few personal words at the bottom, and alwayssigns the letters herself. Repeat donors get handwritten letters.

No stranger to poverty herself, Hammer knows what itfeels like to go to bed hungry. It is this memory that gives herthe strength to persist in her mission. “I picture the children’sfaces, remember thehunger and can’t restuntil I’ve done some-thing to help,” she says.“Hashem sends me thestrength because Heknows I’m trying tocare for His children.”

The oldest ofthree children,Hammer was born in Vinograd, Ukraine. “We were rich backthen,” she reminisces. “My grandfather and father would buyeggs from the local farmers, and send them to a brother nearKiev to resell them in town. After we miraculously survivedthree pogroms, my family managed to escape, crossing thefrozen Dnestr River into Romania. There were forty-two inthe group, eleven of whom were children. I was only ten yearsold.”

At this point in her story, tears well up in her eyes. “MyIma fell in the deep snow, and my father turned back to help

her up. The smuggler guide would not let him go to her! Heforced us on, leaving my Ima in the deep, cold snow, all alonein a harsh foreign land—she without us, us without our Ima.It was many, many months before we learned what hadbecome of her.

“Soon after, we were caught by the Romanian authori-ties and thrown intoprison, adults andchildren alike. Forfive long months, wereceived nothingmore than a smallration of bread andwater daily.Eventually, word ofour imprisonment

trickled out, and the local Jewish community managed toarrange our release. We finally found our Ima in a hospital,alive but ill.

“After arduous travels, we made it to Israel, where welived in a tent. Between the ages of ten and fourteen, I knewhunger firsthand, going to bed hungry almost every night.”

Hammer’s mother never fully regained her strength; shecontracted tuberculosis. Hoping to find a cure for theirmother’s illness, the family moved to the United States.Nevertheless, at the age of thirty-four, Hammer’s motherdied.

“An eventual return to Israel remained my priority; somuch so, that it was one of three conditions I set beforeagreeing to Ephraim Hammer’s marriage proposal,” saysHammer, who lived in Los Angeles. (“The other two condi-tions? He had to agree that we would speak only Hebrewbetween ourselves, and [that he] would teach me how todrive his Ford!)

“Ephraim and I took numerous teaching jobs, workingmornings, afternoons and evenings in order to save money asquickly as possible, yet it was not until our three daughtershad established their own families that we were able to returnto Israel. Ephraim always encouraged me with all my projects,and although he passed away twenty years ago, before the‘chicken business’ really grew, he took it to heart as much as Idid.”

Eventually, Hammer’s daughters also made it to Israel,and now, says Hammer, five generations of her family live inthe country.

Winding down her story, she gets up and fondlystraightens an award that hangs on her wall. It’s the covetedYakir Yerushalayim award given to those who have made asignificant contribution to the good of Jerusalem’s citizens. In1999, Hammer received the award from then-JerusalemMayor Ehud Olmert. “Despite all those I’ve helped, I stillcan’t rest,” she sighs. “I [have] hundreds … still calling forfood.”

It’s this thought that keeps Chaya Hammer going. �JA

AtYadEliezer,

• Provides a Big Brother or Sister to 3,000 children from single-parent homes.

• Supplies infant formula to nearly 2,000 malnourished babies.

• Gives emergency grants and loans to working families in crisis.

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At Yad Eliezer, we are famous for our food boxes.It’s true – we do provide boxes of essential food items to over 12,000

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That's why we can proudly say: At Yad Eliezer, we also Think Out of the Box.We desperately need your help to provide our many critical services to the neediest families

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Please send your contribution to: American Friends of Yad Eliezer1102 East 26th St, Brooklyn, NY 11210 • Tel: 718-252-0091 info@yadeliezer.org • www.yadeliezer.org

Yad Eliezer: An Opportunity to Give and to Receive

wethink“in thebox”

as wellas“outof thebox”.

28 JEWISH ACTION Spring 5767/2007

People have been known to ringher doorbell, hand her an

envelope with money and escapebefore she can even say thank you.

Spring07Cor4 1/24/07 2:01 PM Page 28

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