Rabbi Moshe Feinstein said that a person should not only tithe his earnings but dedicate 10% of his time to chesed. For many people who don’t have enough time for their daily necessities, that’s a tall order. But Rachel Renov of “That Moment” found an original way to give back, one that is unique to her special talents.
Rachel Renov runs a photography business in Long Island and her specialty is families. She has been in the business for four years and has already photographed over 2,000 families.
“I have pictures of my three daughters all over the house and they love it,” she says
There’s something magical about photography and Rachel is about to add to the magic.
Her friend Tamar Maxwell, a young mother whom she had known since they were teenagers, developed a rare form of cancer. “She was one of sweetest people I knew, had a heart of gold and always had a smile on her face. When her son Dovi turned three, she asked me if I could take family pictures. Without hesitation, I eagerly responded with, “Yes!”
After a two-and-a-half year battle with cancer, Tamar passed away. Two nights after Tamar’s passing, Rachel saw a client of hers who was close with Tamar and who was with her during the last few hours of her life. She told Rachel that the night before Tamar’s passing, she was holding onto a book filled with pictures that Rachel had taken of her and her beautiful family. “She said that Tamar loved the pictures I had taken, and would show them to everyone who came to visit her. I was speechless,” says Rachel.
“It was at that moment that I decided I needed to do something to give back. I feel so blessed to be able to capture special memories for families, but to photograph those moments of Tamar and her family was indescribable. To know that she loved those pictures and held onto them to the very end of her life, and her family will forever have those moments to look back at forever, is very humbling. ”
So that’s how Rachel came to add a chesed component to her business, in memory of Tamar Maxwell. Any family with a sibling, child, or parent suffering from a terminal illness will receive a photo session with her, along with a photo book.
“It’s very personal,” she says. The books are gorgeous and everyone gets a personal letter from her. The organization has just been registered and she has already photographed three families and begun receiving donations.
“Life is constantly changing. People change. Days fly by. That’s when the name came to me – That Moment – which stands for Tamar Maxwell.”
“Pictures help us appreciate the good times. Difficult times are also part of the picture but when you look at pictures, you remember the good times.”
Rachel, 26, started photographing as a way of earning a living when she separated from her husband.
“Every person you meet happens for a reason. Every situation you are put in happens for a reason,” she says. “I feel it’s a bracha and I love what I do.”
After one week of launching That Moment, the feedback was incredible. “I received emails from people from all over who were struggling with illness. We received thousands of dollars in donations in just one week, and multiple shares on social media.”
Rachel wishes everyone only health and happiness and that those struggling with an illness be cured, to live life to it’s fullest.
“There is nothing good to be said about illness, but if I could take a moment of struggle and pain and bring some light and happiness, then I have done my job,” she says.
And Rachel is making those moments last forever.
Rachel can be reached at [email protected] or by phone at 516-404-0089. Visit her website at www.rachelrenov.com/Other/ThatMoment.