ROCKLAND WEATHER

The Man Who Feeds Monsey’s Birds All Year Round

The Man Who Feeds Monsey’s Birds All Year Round

By Yitzy Fried

In honor of Shabbos Shirah, when it is the minhag to feed the birds, we present a portrait of Reb Yoel Schwartz, a Monsey resident who does so all year round, an interest that began with work on the laws of shiluach hakein has morphed into an obsession and a love for these flying creatures. 

While many of us are familiar with the few species of birds, like pigeons that are a nuisance above storefronts, Reb Yoel tells us that there is a whole world of birds that many of us aren’t familiar with. 

He recalls his childhood in Yerushalayim when his father kept nests and birds all around their home. “Aside from being an expert in the laws of shiluach hakein, he was also familiar with the nature of birds,” Reb Yoel recalls. “When he was reprinting his sefer, I assisted him with taking pictures of many kinds of birds. Today, I do this for a hobby… capturing vivid photographs of all kinds of birds. 

Three years ago, Reb Yoel moved to Monsey, where he spends his free time attracting birds and photographing them. He explains you can attract birds by putting out their preferred foods. “One species will come for nuts, one for worms, and some for meat…” he says. “We get to see some beautiful birds coming in here.”  

But what began as a hobby—so he can photograph the birds— is today intense work for Reb Yoel who has developed a love for the many birds that have come to depend on him for food. “When I go grocery shopping for my family, I also have my “bird family” in mind… nuts for this one, sunflower seeds for this one, and I worry that the young birds too shouldn’t go hungry.” 

By now, many of the birds have gotten used to Reb Yoel, and many of them will eat right out of his hand. “My children will alert me…. ‘Totty, here comes a blue jay or a black-capped chickadee,’ they will call out.” 

Fascinating things play out on Reb Yoel’s porch—like the time a red-tailed hawk snatched a squirrel from a large eagle. “It was a very noisy and raucous event,” he remembers.   

Reb Yoel acquaints us with the concept of birds that have fallen “off the path.” As they migrate to warmer places, some birds remain behind midway, remaining stuck in our area for the winter months. “They say that this year, there are a number of such birds. The wind is a factor in this,” he says. 

Does Reb Yoel feel like he lives in a world of his own, not being understood by the people around him? “No,” he says. “There is a group of us bird-lovers, and we keep together, keeping each other abreast of different species that show up in the area, and we often go on bird-watching trips together.”


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