Inspired by family history, LI native helps Holocaust survivors in pandemic

“333” will forever hold a special significance to Evan Rosenberg. He tattooed it on his forearm and used it in the name of his charity.
The number contains the “story of [his] family’s survival,” he said. Rosenberg’s grandmother first conveyed it to him in 2014, handwritten in a Hanukkah card.
She said that when Rosenberg’s great-grandfather’s sister was being led to the gas chambers of Auschwitz concentration camp, she held up three fingers to remind her sons “that their salvation would be Uncle Bernard, when and if the time permitted.”
This was Rosenberg’s great-grandfather, whose fur manufacturing business was at 333 Seventh Ave. in Manhattan.
After the Holocaust, two of those children were able to reunite with the rest of their family in New York, working together at 333 Seventh Ave. for years to come, Rosenberg said.
“The meaning to me was that if my family could go through something so difficult, what reason do I have to complain about the small things that happen in everyday life?” he said.
In November, Rosenberg, a Syosset native, started 333 Charity, aiming to help Holocaust survivors living in the metropolitan area. When the pandemic began, he wanted to find a way to rally support for this population in great need.
“There are 36,000 Holocaust survivors living in the New York area, and 40% are living in poverty,” Rosenberg said. “So we’re focused on that 40%.”
333 Charity, partnered with UJA-Federation of New York, is working with 14 local bagel shops and one delicatessen to raise money for food donations, which are then delivered directly to Holocaust survivors in the metro area.
Rosenberg, who worked in the bar and restaurant industry for about 15 years, wanted to do something to give back to local businesses while also supporting his charity’s cause.
“I wanted to get this initiative involved with restaurants, but wanted to do it in a way where struggling restaurants — because they are struggling during COVID, it’s one of the most affected industries — could do something that's no sweat off their backs and it’s easy to accomplish,” he said.
The participating eateries are Bagel Master in Syosset, Bagel Plaza in Merrick, Sarge's Delicatessen and Diner in Manhattan and all 12 Bagel Boss locations. When you place an order for yourself with any of these eateries, you are given the chance to donate.
“These restaurants add a button to their website — Seamless, GrubHub or DoorDash, whatever it may be — and the button simply says ‘Fund meals for Holocaust survivors through 333 Charity’ and there’s a 10-dollar option, 15-dollar option and a 30-dollar option,” Rosenberg said.
333 Charity and UJA-Federation of New York will collect the donations at the end of three weeks, and through the UJA-Federation’s meal delivery program, Holocaust survivors in New York will receive kosher food care packages delivered to their doorsteps.
“It’s a high-risk category that can't leave their homes,” Rosenberg said of this elderly population. “The initiative just hits home with me because it connects back to family.”
In addition to this effort, Rosenberg also led a virtual workout class with Trooper Fitness to raise money for UJA-Federation of New York’s meal delivery program. It brought in 114 viewers and ultimately raised $12,000 for the cause, Rosenberg said. The online benefit garnered big names, including “Pitch Perfect” star Skylar Astin and NBA Hall-of-Famer Isiah Thomas.
The Zoom session kicked off with a video message from a Holocaust survivor, Sami Steigmann, who lives under the poverty line.
“I think hearing from him and then him rooting people on for the workout class and saying this is a huge help, that was something that I think was pretty touching,” Rosenberg said.
Because his organization is new, Rosenberg said he is always looking to connect with people and hear new ideas about ways 333 Charity can raise awareness and help survivors.
“I’m definitely extremely passionate about it,” he said. “We're just helping people that went through a tragedy that can’t help themselves in this current moment.”
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