Federation to Launch Emergency Hunger-Relief Fund

September 04, 2008

Jessica Endy
Jewish Federation Feature

Approximately 10,000 Jewish households in Greater Philadelphia face food insecurity each day, and with food costs increasing on average 5.8 percent over the past year, the situation will likely get worse. Federation's Mitzvah Food Project is projecting a 56 percent increase in the number of low-income clients it will serve in the upcoming year.

To address this Jewish hunger crisis, Federation is launching the Jewish Community Hunger-Relief Campaign.

Federation's goal is to raise $3.5 million this year to provide meals to some 1,800 low-income seniors -- a fixed-income population that is significantly impacted by rising food, medication and utility prices.

The pervasiveness of local Jewish hunger may surprise people.

Leonard Barrack, president of Federation, provided some explanation: "Many of us have been blessed with good fortune and moved to the suburbs, and, though not intentionally, away from daily encounters with Jews facing poverty and hunger.

Volunteers are needed on Friday, Sept. 19, at the SHARE food warehouse at 2901 West Hunting Park Ave. to help sort and package food for distribution. Two shifts -- the 10 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. shift, and the 12:30 p.m. to 3 p.m. shift -- are available.

"Since Jews in need were no longer in our immediate eyesight," he continued, "we began assuming they no longer existed here in Philadelphia, but they do, and they require our help immediately."

Federation's Senior Council, a committee of the Jewish community's most seasoned leaders led by Marvin N. Demchick and D. Walter Cohen, is championing the Hunger-Relief Fund.

Demchick and Cohen agreed that local synagogue help during the High Holidays will be vital to a strong campaign launch. Council members are working to engage their respective congregations in this emergency effort.

Partnering synagogues are being encouraged to educate congregants on both the needs in the local Jewish community and how they can address these needs through the fund.

Federation last partnered with Greater Philadelphia's synagogues on an emergency campaign in 2006, raising more than $350,000 at High Holiday time for Federation's Israel Emergency Fund, which aided Israel during the Second Lebanon War.

Over the past several weeks, Federation leadership has meet with numerous rabbis representing all streams of Judaism. They expressed their solidarity with the idea of launching a Jewish Community Hunger-Relief Campaign during the High Holidays-a period typified by introspection and commitment to personal and communal change-and pledged their support to publicizing the campaign within their synagogues.

I Michael Coslov, Federation's campaign vice president, encouraged the community to once again stand together during a time of great need: "Our Jewish community is collectively wealthier than any previous Jewish community, yet Jewish hunger exists right here in our backyard. At this holiest time of the year, we must not forget about our sacred obligation to our people."

All member congregations of Federation's Kehillot have committed to garner support for the Mitzvah Food Project High Holiday Food Drive and the Federation Hunger-Relief Fund.

For more information, call the Kehillot contact in your area:

Bucks County

Janet Kraus, 215-579-9300, jkraus@philafederation.org

Bux-Mont

Nicki Trice, 215-646-4500, ntrice@philafederation.org

Center City

Susan Stanek, 215-832-0597, sstanek@philafederation.org

Lower Merion

Alyse Unterberger, 610-645-8380, aunterberger@philafederation.org

Old York Road

Lynne Balaban, 215-884-3944, lbalaban@philafederation.org

Western Region Chester County