After being furloughed, Merrick’s Rachel Rabinowitz gives back

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By ANDREW GARCIA

agarcia@liherald.com

Rachel Rabinowitz’s corporate position at Macy’s New York City headquarters was her first major job out of college after earning a business degree. Despite working there for four years, the John F. Kennedy High School alumnae, now 26, was furloughed in April as the Covid-19 outbreak intensified.

Although she is currently job searching, Rabinowitz is still renting her New York City apartment, she said. She’s keeping expenses minimal by staying with her parents in Merrick.

Instead of staying holed-up in their home in the interim, Rabinowitz decided to support several neighbors in her community and beyond. “I tried to not really get down about it,” she said. Being furloughed “wasn’t based on my performance or anything personal — it’s what they had to do for the business to stay afloat. So, I just wanted to stay positive and figure out different ways to stay busy.”

Rabinowitz put her baking skills to use and started a charitable challah bread-baking business through her Instagram page, @challah.at.me_. Limiting her efforts to roughly 50 challahs per week, she delivers them to customers or allows for pick up. The challahs come in a variety of flavors, including plain, cinnamon sugar and everything bagel.

After starting the page earlier this month, Rabinowitz collected more than $600, all of which she donated to No Kid Hungry, a charity that helps feed hungry children in the United States. Through Invisible Hands, a community-based organization, Rabinowitz has also been delivering groceries to families in Merrick, East Meadow and Seaford.

“It’s rewarding,” she said, noting that one appreciative senior left her flowers and a thank-you note. “It’s nice to be able to help people who aren’t young and healthy and feel uncomfortable going out.”

Despite the pandemic, Rabinowitz has maintained a positive attitude amid, “baking” the best out of a bad situation. “It’s important to . . . think outside of the box when things aren’t what we’re accustomed to,” she said.