Many members of our community (including older Nashvillians, families, and children) have suffered disruptions in their SNAP and WIC benefits. As a result, our community will experience a crisis in food availability for our most vulnerable citizens. As a Jewish community, we believe in caring for our neighbors and feeding the hungry—it is a basic value of Judaism. We find this in Isaiah which promises: "If you pour yourself out for the hungry and satisfy the desire of the afflicted, then shall your light rise." This is the essence of tikkun olam.
This value is a driving force in Judaism and is a motivator for the work done by each of our Social Action/Justice Committees. To this end, our five Synagogues (Chabad, Micah, The Temple, Sherith Israel, and West End ), via their Social Action committees, have joined together for a Food Drive to benefit our local Food Banks. We want our community to know that their Jewish neighbors step up in hours of need.
Our team initially met to ensure that we coordinated our efforts with Second Harvest with regard to what we collect and how we deliver our donations (both food and monetary) to the local food banks in need. We each are promoting this effort in our Shabbat Services, Sunday School classes, synagogue activities, and in our surrounding community. The Food Drive began on November 7th and will continue until December 19th when the last batches will be delivered by each synagogue. If you would like to donate, please fill a bag with nonperishables in cans or containers and drop them off at your local synagogue.
The Jewish Observer is published by The Jewish Federation of Greater Nashville and made possible by funds raised in the Jewish Federation Annual Campaign. Become a supporter today.
