As a community, we have a great opportunity to participate in Family Table, a wonderful program of JF&CS.  Family Table provides nutritious food and Shabbat and holiday supplies to 182 needy Jewish families in our area. 

In this current climate of national economic hardship, more and more families find themselves in need of the support and life-sustaining food Family Table provides.  Now more than ever the Jewish community and Family Table need our support, and there are a few ways to get involved.  This year Temple Beth Am has been assigned to collect 4-Roll Packs of Toilet Paper.  Every month you can send your children to Religious School with a pack of toilet paper which will be distributed to needy Family Table Clients.  If you don’t have children in the Religious School you can still support the Family Table by bringing your packs of toilet paper to the Temple anytime you come for services, committee meetings, Lifelong Learning classes or for social events.  The next time you go shopping, please remember to buy a few extra packages of toilet paper for families in need.

Many of the clients of Family Table do not have transportation.  In order for them to receive their monthly food and supply donations, volunteers are needed to pack up the donations in the Family Table warehouse in Waltham and deliver them to needy families in the area.  One wonderful way to model the Jewish values of feeding the hungry, Bikur Zkaynim, visiting the elderly (as many of the Family Table clients are seniors), and Gemilut Hasadim, acts of loving kindness to our families is by volunteering to deliver food packages.  Our first TBA delivery date will be on Sunday November 2, 2008.   Orientation and packing begins at 11:00am, and the deliveries start at 11:30am.  Family Table provides food and supplies eleven times a year:  Sept. 14, 2008, Oct. 5, 2008, Nov. 2, 2008, Dec. 7, 2008, Jan. 11, 2009, Feb. 8, 2009, March 8, 2009, April 5, 2009, May 3, 2009, June 7, 2009 and July 12, 2009. Please take the time to volunteer.

If you are interested in volunteering but can’t make the deliveries, you can still help out by setting up the pantry on food distribution days.  Please call 781-693-5593 one week prior to distribution day. 

For the past few years David and Rose Raduziner have volunteered their time as TBA Site Coordinators.  They have represented our Temple by organizing TBA’s donations, setting up community drivers and serving as liaisons between TBA and Family Table.  Family Table and Temple Beth Am greatly appreciate their efforts.  David and Rose are ready to pass the touch and as a result, Temple Beth Am is in need of a new site-coordinator.  Please consider making this one year commitment.  If you are interested, please contact me at the School Office. 

This year we are going to take the challenge to do our part in supporting families in need.  Our 8^th Grade class will spearhead the collections of toilet paper in the Religious School and as a class, distribute food with their families two times this year. 

Family Table will be providing our 8^th-10^th Graders and their parents with an eye opening Family Education program on Hunger on Monday, September 15, 2008, from 7:00-8:00pm.  Please mark your calendars and plan on attending.

As we prepare to enter into the High Holy Day season of festive meals and community togetherness, let us not forget those members of our greater community who do not have enough to eat, and whose celebrations will be dimmed.  Let us remember the words of the Prophet Isaiah, “And the work of tzedakah shall bring peace.” (Isaiah 32:17)

Shanah Tovah,

Rabbi Amanda R. Lurer