Priceless Shopping

Bobbie’s Place, located in a in a Brooklyn basement, is a “pretend” clothing store where needy Orthodox families can go to outfit their children in brand-new clothes for the holidays. The New York Times reported in March. Each garment has a price tag, though no money is charged at the checkout counter—the clothes are free.

Why all the pretense? Avi and Michal Schick, the “owners” of Bobbie’s Place, insist that the children of needy families don’t need to know that they are the recipients of charity.

Bobbie’s Place is named for the Schicks’ grandmother, Renee Schick, their philanthropic role model. All 17 of Schick’s grandchildren contribute to the operation of the “store.”