The convergence in September of the High Holidays and Hunger Action Month is one reason JFS holds its Community-Wide Food Drive in the fall. The response to the annual Food Drive is wonderful, and the donations help us address food insecurity in our community. But many people don’t realize the tons of food collected each… Continue Reading
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Ignoring a Person in Need
Exiting our upscale neighborhood grocery store, I notice a spirited group of young women selling Girl Scout cookies by the front door. They are surrounded by people and engaging in conversation. Directly across the street, a homeless man stands alone, his head down, holding a sign: “Please help. My wife and I are VERY hungry.”… Continue Reading
The Power of Habit
Rabbi Tanhum’s family was known for a specific praiseworthy habit. When his mother went to the market to buy food, she would buy two pounds of meat – one for her family and one for the poor. Rabbi Tanhum himself was known for the same predictable behavior: “If he was accustomed to buy a pound… Continue Reading
A Safe Web of Family & Community
When I taught 5th grade, my students served meals to homeless people. They always reported that it “felt good” to help other people. As their teacher, I was pleased about their enthusiasm for this monthly mitzvah, but wondered: Did these experiences produce anything beyond the students’ good feelings? We certainly weren’t solving the bigger issues… Continue Reading
We Must Not Lock Our Doors on Refugees out of Blind Fear
I was at Disneyland when Paris was attacked. My daughter was waiting to take her picture with Mickey Mouse when the number of dead started being reported. By the time we got to the “It’s a Small World” ride, I received an email asking why the Jewish social-services agency I lead would resettle Muslim refugees.… Continue Reading
Refugee Resettlement Is a Jewish Value
I grew up in Spokane, down the street from my grandparents. They were early 20th century immigrants from Eastern Europe who arrived at a time before the term “refugee resettlement” had been coined. My grandfather, who fled the Ukraine because of pogroms, arrived in America as a teenager with his mother, joining his father who… Continue Reading
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