Jews and Feeding
Some of the food delivered to Flushing Family Residence
Dear friends,
I got to my meeting at the cafe a little early. I hadn't eaten all day, so even though I was meeting someone I had never sat down with before, I ordered a late lunch. My lunch plate and the person I was meeting arrived at the same time. I apologized, but before I could explain myself she said: "Eat Bubeleh."
Somehow, for Jews nothing seems as comforting as feeding people. Feeding your kid is more satisfying than feeding yourself, and we often treat everyone else as though they were our children.
Where does that come from?
One of the earliest sources is the opening of this week's parashah. Check out the overbearing eagerness Abraham exhibits toward feeding three strangers who walk by his desert tent:
"Looking up, he saw three people. He ran from the entrance of the tent to greet them and, bowing to the ground, said, “My lords! If it please you, do not go on past your servant. Let a little water be brought; bathe your feet and recline under the tree. And let me fetch a morsel of bread that you may refresh yourselves; then go on—seeing that you have come your servant’s way.” And they said "Ok!"
Abraham rushed into the tent to Sarah, and said, “Quick, three measures of choice flour! Knead and make cakes!” Then Abraham ran to the herd, took a calf, tender and choice, and gave it to a servant-boy, who hastened to prepare it. He took curds and milk and the calf that had been prepared and set these before them; and he waited on them under the tree as they ate."
This might just be the source of our anxious drive to feed. Sadly, we have a real opportunity to make good use of our feeding neurosis.
With no access to food through SNAP due to the government's ugly politicization of the food stamps program, the families at our adopted shelter in Bushwick, the Flushing Family Residence are in dire need of food. Some of the money we raised on Yom Kippur for the shelter was put to use this week. Daphna described it in an email to the families who volunteered there two weeks ago:
"A couple of days ago Mrs Robles (the director of the Shelter) called me with an ask- We really need food. This morning Daniel and I set to purchase a large supplies of Eggs, bread, cheese, eggs, meat, vegetables/ fruits. boxed and canned food, delivered and set them up in the common room ( total purchase of $1200 ). The distribution was announced for 1:30pm and families lined up. The food was gone in 25 minutes and the families were really grateful.
One heartbreaking moment was when a family with three kids who were at our workshop came in and the kids shouted excitedly- ‘Mommy Mommy, they have Cheese!’ ' Mommy they have meat!’ . I came to great them, and the kids asked - do you remember us? I replied OF COURSE!! and one of them said- it is so nice to see you again, and asked if he can take few more apples.
Today we fed 26 families."
The shelter has asked us to do more. We're planning more food deliveries and events there. If you're able to support these efforts financially please do so HERE. And if you're able to volunteer some time, please reach out to Daphna.
I'm also proud to share with you that our Shul community's donation raised on Yom Kippur to fight hunger in Gaza, of close to $18,000, was the second largest donation in that national campaign of the Jewish community. Hunger is still very much a reality in Gaza, and the funds we raised are keeping people alive.
I hope to see you this evening at First Pres. 6pm community meeting, 7pm service with musical guest Gabriel Meyer. And 8pm - who can stop Susan from feeding us? - dinner!
Shabbat shalom,
Rabbi Misha