Benjamina Menashe, along with her husband Jacob and their four kids – Shlomit (15), Albert (13), Eliana (10) and Shoshana (7) – started volunteering with the Farmers Market Gleaning program last summer. At the time, Albert was looking for a Bar Mtizvah project. The family wanted to find a project they could do together, so they chose gleaning for the Polack Food Bank.
Gleaning is a neighborhood collaboration between the Broadway Farmers Market and JFS. At the end of the Sunday market, a corps of volunteers collects unsold produce, which is then donated to the Polack Food Bank. Whether the Menashe family comes together or in shifts, they enjoy collecting produce for the Food Bank clients.
Benjamina explains, “Gleaning makes the idea of tzedakah (the obligation to give) tangible for my kids. We buy some organic produce in our house and talk about how it is more expensive than conventional produce. So, seeing farmers donate so much beautiful, organic produce shows them how generous people can be, as well as that we are part of a bigger network of giving.”
Tzedakah is a core value in the Menashe household. Their involvement with JFS extends beyond the Gleaning program. For Albert’s Bar Mitzvah, the family filled centerpiece baskets with approximately 200 pounds of fruit, which was then donated to the Polack Food Bank.
The family also participates in JFS holiday basket making and the Seattle Hebrew Academy’s food drives. Benjamina elaborates, “The family volunteering opportunities at JFS have been a wonderful way for me to teach my kids at a young age they belong to a larger community.”
Outside of JFS, the family is active in Seward Park’s Sephardic Orthodox community. In addition to volunteering, the family enjoys going to baseball games, swimming and bike riding.
By Jenelle Birnbaum
Violinist, hiker and all-around arts nerd Jenelle Birnbaum was the Marketing Coordinator and Web Administrator at JFS. Outside of that, she enjoys speaking French and vegan cooking.
Feature photo courtesy of the Menashe family. Grandparents Albert and Bette Lynn Menashe regularly volunteer with Home Delivery for the Food Bank.
