Today, I interviewed Shaindy Kelman.
What year
did?you graduate?Bais Yaakov Baltimore, and what was the school like then???
I?graduated in
1975?with a class of 22?girls! We were in the old building on Greenspring
Avenue, and Rabbi?Steinberg, z”l,?was our principal.?We had a very
loving and cohesive class.?
What did you
do after high school???
As the only child
of Holocaust survivors, I could not leave?my?parents?to?go to?school out of
town. I attended UMBC and earned a degree in biology. After graduating, I
worked as a biochemist at Johns Hopkins University.?Two years after I
graduated, I married?Avraham Kelman, and we moved to Detroit. There, I worked
as a biochemist for two years before starting a family. I retired from being
around the?radioactive?chemicals that was required as part of my work?to become
a full-time mom.??
What was it like being a child of
Holocaust survivors??
I was very blessed that my?parents were
not traumatized by their experiences the way other people?were.?Despite?all
they had been through,?my parents were positive, kind?people, and we were close
with any family that survived.?
When did your family come to the U.S,
and how was the transition??
I was born in Romania, and when I was 12,
my family moved to Baltimore.?Once we made it here,?Rabbi?Sternhell’s?Shaarith?Hapleita,
synagogue?(for Holocaust survivors), became my?father’s?second home.?He
was?very involved?with the building.?He built the addition and mikvah.??
How did you get involved in the makeup
industry???
After being home?for a while?as a
full-time mom,?I wanted to get out and do something.?I got a job working at
the?makeup?counter at Saks,?but?before?the job ever started,?I was fired for
not coming on Shabbos.?As an alternative,?I worked?at?a kiosk in a busy
mall.?The lady there said I could never make it in this business since I was
too honest.?There was no way I could?sell someone makeup they?didn’t?look good
in.?The lady said this would be my end.?When I came home that night, I told?my
husband about the lady. He said,?“What?does she know! Why don’t you start your
own company?” I did,?and now?it’s?42?years later.?My product sells itself,?and
everyone honestly looks great.
How did you choose the name?ShainDee?Cosmetics?for
your business??
My name is Shaindy,?which means beautiful.
It is spelled?ShainDee?because all the residents in the hospital?where?my
husband worked called me Miss Dee.?The?residents really?loved?the makeup.?I
guess the name?stuck.?
Why did you decide?to make your makeup
Shabbos and Pesach friendly??
About?80% of my customers are shomrei
Shabbat,?and?almost?25 years?ago,?Rabbi Moshe Feinstein gave a heter that
women could use?Shabbat?makeup?because women wanted to?look?their best on the
one day of the week when they could see?their friends.?There are many
requirements?regarding?the makeup. Rabbi A. Blumenkrantz,?z”l, gave the heter
for my brand of?makeup?for Shabbos and?Passover.?
Which countries are your products sold
in, and how do you?manage it all??
They are all over!?Australia, South
Africa, America, Paris, and most recently, Israel.??
It was much easier to manage while I was
living in Baltimore, but?it became harder when I moved to Israel.?Living in
Israel is a dream come true; we?were closer to family?since they all moved
there.?But my business?began?to struggle. Fortunately, Brachi Himmelstein took on?the?responsibility?of
the business?in?Baltimore?and has?done?a?truly terrific?job.?She?recently got a
new job?in a different industry?and is starting?soon.??
What is happening?with your business
now??
Unfortunately, before Pesach, my lease
came to a sudden end.?I am now looking to partner with someone who loves makeup
and skin care?and wants to run?her own business.?Soon, our?new website?will
feature our clean, organic skin care that fights aging and acne.?You will still
be able to get your favorite products shipped to your home!?
Do you have a story of how your makeup
helped people??
Many?of my clients?are?cancer patients.
Over the course of treatment, the skin may become discolored. With makeup and
loving support, I have seen?these women feel dramatically better about
themselves and smile beautifully. It also feels great to see the smile restored
on my acne clients, both men and women.?I have had?great success?in this area
of my work.?You can find all these products at: facebook.com/shaindeecosmetics and instagram.com/shaindeecosmetics
Aidee Moss is a high school sophomore in Baltimore. She
competes in CIJE high school robotics and is an assistant coach for middle
school CIJE robotics. Aidee enjoys STEM class, volunteering at the Baltimore
Humane Society, and traveling to new places. Aidee’s favorite way to spend any
day is with her family and friends… but never at the same time!
