Rabbi's Message

In our Torah portion this week, Abraham and Sarah welcome three guests into their home. Immediately, they prepare food for them to eat. Sharing our food with others, feeding others, is foundational not only in the Jewish tradition, but in all other traditions and cultures. Food is a basic need and it is a mitzvah, called ma’akhil re’avim, to feed the hungry. The government shutdown has impacted SNAP benefits for 130,000 South Jersey residents, and millions more around our country. Our community partners, Jewish Family and Children's Service (JFCS), Cathedral Kitchen in Camden, and others, are reporting a dramatic increase in requests for food support. Our tradition demands that we answer the call to help feed those in need today, and to do what we can to make clear to our leaders that the value of feeding the hungry should be above politics. 

Below you will find opportunities to do the mitzvah of ma’akhil re’avim. We have been told that the quickest way to help people is through giving tzedakah directly to food pantries, and there are links to do that below. You will also find information for a food drive at TBS for the JFCS Betsy and Peter Fischer Food Pantry, as well as a link from Mazon, the Jewish Response to Hunger, to send an email to Congress and President Trump urging them to fully restore SNAP benefits. 

If you, or someone you know, is in need of help during this challenging time, please reach out to us. We are grateful to have funds at TBS whose purpose is to help those who are struggling. We can speak confidentially and do our best to provide support. Please don’t hesitate to reach out.

At the end of the story in the Torah, the guests that Abraham and Sarah fed are angels, who answered their prayers for a child. We know that things don’t work out so easily, but perhaps there is a message here for us too. When we provide for those in need, we too can make a difference.



L'shalom,

Rabbi Peltz

Rabbi Wexler

Cantor Cohen

Rabbi Lindemann