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October 15, 2004/Tishri 30 5765, Vol. 57, No. 7
Tons of foodHigh Holiday food drives help feed the hungry
LEISAH NAMM
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 Andy Cooper, president of Har Zion Congregation, shows a sample of food collected by synagogue members. The food was donated to Waste Not of Phoenix. Photo by Hannah Brewer/Har Zion Congregation |
Instead, they bought food and toiletries to distribute to numerous local nonprofit organizations through synagogue food drives.
On Rosh Hashana, many congregations handed out empty grocery bags to members, who brought them back on Yom Kippur filled with non-perishable food and personal care items.
Recipients of services at the Interfaith Cooperative Ministries (ICM) benefited from a Yom Kippur food drive organized by Beth El Congregation and Temple Beth Israel. Congregants donated 24,044 pounds of nonperishable foods and personal care items, according to Linda J. Weinberg, ICM executive director. While ICM collects food and other items throughout the year, this drive is the largest of the year.
The fact that so many people donate to organizations such as ICM "means that the community cares," she says. "We get bombarded by all kinds of negative news and crime and economy, and this shows that some people still care about one another and care about their community and others who are less fortunate."
ICM, a nonprofit organization founded 18 years ago by the leaders of 34 area churches and synagogues - including Beth El Congregation - provides clothing, blankets, food and emergency assistance to individuals and families suddenly faced with needs that exceed their incomes.
Temple Beth Israel, a Reform congregation in Scottsdale, has held High Holiday food drives for more than 30 years, said Terry Taubman, executive director.
Before the start of the Kol Nidre service, ICM picked up 4,362 pounds of nonperishable food and personal use items from Beth El. The Conservative synagogue has coordinated this food drive for at least 15 years, says Jeffrey Frankel, synagogue administrator. Volunteers from the Phoenix synagogue also visit the Westside Food Bank each month to help package food boxes.
Several other synagogues throughout the Valley conducted food drives this year, benefiting numerous local agencies.
- Between Rosh Hashana and Yom Kippur, Temple Solel distributed empty grocery bags that each had donation envelopes for MAZON: A Jewish Response to Hunger and labels listing a suggestion of food items to purchase. Worshippers returned the filled bags - a total of 16,200 pounds of food - to the synagogue on Yom Kippur. Vista del Camino, a social service agency in Scottsdale, made multiple trips to pick up the donations, says Patti Evans, Temple Solel executive director of the Paradise Valley synagogue.
- "Project Isaiah," Har Zion Congregation's annual food drive, took place during the synagogue's High Holidays celebration. Congregants dropped off more than 500 pounds of canned foods and nonperishables. The food was donated to Waste Not of Phoenix. For her mitzvah project for her upcoming bat mitzvah, Rebecca Daley spearheaded an additional food drive through the Har Zion Early Childhood Center, which collected more than 205 pounds of food for the Paradise Valley Emergency Food Bank.
- The Sun Lakes Jewish Congregation collected 4,000 pounds of nonperishable food and toiletries during High Holiday services, all donated to Paz de Cristo Community Center. Members of the congregation's Men's Club serve dinner to the needy at Christmas and once in the spring at this agency, an interfaith community outreach ministry in Mesa.
- For the second year, Or Chadash Congregation's Yom Kippur Project Isaiah food drive benefited Save the Family, a nonprofit organization that helps homeless families with children get back on their feet. Synagogue members and guests donated more than 150 large bags filled with food and baby items.
- Temple Beth Shalom and the Jewish Community Center of the Northwest Valley donated nonperishable items totaling 1,323 pounds to the Westside Food Bank in Surprise. About 30 members volunteer their time each week throughout the year to the food bank.
- Temple Havurat Emet of Sun Lakes collected more than 600 pounds of nonperishable food items and toiletries during its High Holiday food drive. The synagogue donated these items, along with the fresh fruit and vegetables that were used to decorate the synagogue's sukkah, to the Chandler Christian Community Center for distribution to needy families. The temple's social action committee, co-chaired by Jack Becker and Aaron Dolin, coordinated the food drive.
- In Sun City West, Beth Emeth Congregation's food drive commemorated the harvest festival of Sukkot. Food was donated through Sukkot and donated to the Westside Food Bank.
- At Temple Emanuel of Tempe, 1,824 pounds of food was collected for the Tempe Community Action Agency.
- In Northern Arizona, the Jewish Community of Sedona and the Verde Valley collected nonperishable food and cash donations as part of its 10th annual Yom Kippur food drive for the Sedona Food Bank.
The Hillel Jewish Student Center at Arizona State University asked students to bring canned goods to High Holiday services and about six "hefty boxes" were picked up by St. Vincent de Paul, says Shotsy Abramson, Hillel assistant director. Hillel also collected cash contributions to donate to the Interfaith Food Bank. During Sukkot, students gathered in Hillel and Chabad at ASU's joint sukkah to make 200 peanut butter and jelly sandwiches for Waste Not.
This year, members of Temple Chai Temple Youth (TCTY) tried a different kind of food drive - they set up a giant tzedakah box at the temple and asked people to donate money or Fry's grocery store gift cards.
The group collected more than $2,700, says Jody Leeds, TCTY adviser.
On the day following Yom Kippur, the teens went shopping at Fry's, using a shopping list provided by the Paradise Valley Emergency Food Bank, and purchased more than 3,000 pounds of food. The teens then delivered the food to the food bank and organized it on the shelves.
Leeds wrote in her temple's newsletter: "The best part about this event is that the food bank now has shelves filled with items that they requested."
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