24 | JANUARY 19 • 2023 

OUR COMMUNITY

L

ike any boy who wants to look like 
his father, E.M. Cohen, 7, of Oak 
Park was desperate to own his own 
suit. His mother, Mindy, balked; he would 
likely outgrow a suit pretty quickly and 
suits could be expensive. A few months 
ago, Mindy was on Mrs. Schwab’s patio, 
flicking through some boy’s clothes when 
she came across two brand new boy’s suits 
— in exactly E.M’s size. One came with a 
matching vest and tie and still had the tags 
on it! The price, like everything else on Mrs. 
Schwab’s patio, was free. 
Mindy took the suits home and E.M 
was absolutely ecstatic. He immedi-
ately got dressed, posed for pictures 
and proudly wears a suit to shul every 
Shabbat, thrilled that he’s dressed just like 
his father.
Welcome to Ohel Leah, a clothing 
gemach, which is an abbreviation of the 
Hebrew words gemilut chasadim, acts of 
loving kindness. Everyone is invited to 
come and browse the racks of beautiful 
clothing and take whatever they want. The 
gemach is located on the well-lit front patio 
of Mrs. Schwab’s Oak Park house under a 
large, weather-proof roof. 
“I’ve been doing this for over 30 years,
” 

Mrs. Schwab said. “We started really small; 
people just dropped off the clothes their 
families weren’t wearing anymore and over 
the years, it mushroomed. We became fan-
cier! It used to be in a regular tent, but that 
didn’t work out too well, with the weather.
”

NON-STOP DONATIONS
There’s a whole system. Community mem-
bers are invited to leave bags of clothing on 
Mrs. Schwab’s porch, but she’s very particu-
lar about what she accepts. She doesn’t want 
anything that even looks used to be in her 
gemach. 
“We don’t take anything stained, torn, 
out of date or old-fashioned,
” Mrs. Schwab 
said. “
And we’re always overwhelmed with 
bags all the time, especially before Pesach 
… People never stop giving. It’s amazing 
how many bags we get each week! It’s just 
incredible.
”
It can be hard for people to discard their 
much-loved worn clothing and, although 
Mrs. Schwab won’t accept them for Ohel 
Leah, she does help with that as well. On 
the side of her house is a huge yellow bin 
for used clothing. A driver from Midwest 
Recycling, formerly Planet Aid, comes out 
weekly, weighs it and sends all that clothing 
to the needy in third-world 
countries. Mrs. Schwab gets 
paid per pound, which she 
uses to buy overstock or 
unsold seasonal outfits, direct-
ly feeding the funds back into 
the gemach.
Each Sunday morning, 
Mrs. Schwab and her team of 
regular volunteers — Susanna 
Recha Klein, Leah Sarne, 
Yehudis Rabinowitz and Judy 
Ishakis — sort through the 
week’s accumulated bags, 

deciding what’s nice enough to put out and 
what’s not. 
“Most of the clothes that come in are 
absolutely gorgeous,
” Mrs. Schwab said. 
“Lots of things still have store tags on them! 
It’s probably easier for people to donate 
them than to deal with returns. Many look 
new, are hardly worn … I’m not exaggerat-
ing! If it’s not, it goes in the yellow bin.
”
After the sorting, volunteer Eileen Baum 
arrives; she hangs everything on hangers 
and puts them on the right racks. Sections 
are clearly and neatly labeled: infants, boys, 
girls, ladies, men, school uniforms, shoes, 
books, toys. Every Sunday afternoon, three 
siblings, all Bais Yaakov high schoolers, 
come by to hang up anything Baum didn’t 
get to. 
“The best time to come by and shop 
is Monday morning,
” Mrs. Schwab said. 
“That’s when all new stuff is hanging up.
” 
Donations come in more forms than just 
clothes. For the past 10 years, Jennifer Ribiat 

Free clothes for everyone on 
Mrs. Schwab’s Oak Park porch.

Welcome to 

 Ohel Leah

ROCHEL BURSTYN CONTRIBUTING WRITER

A very happy 
E.M. Cohen 
in his new 
suit from 
Mrs. Schwab

