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Bohm Social Justice Initiative
JCRC Organizes Food Stamp Challenge
On Sunday November 20, JCRC organized a Food Stamp Challenge event in connection with the national mobilization “Fighting Poverty with Faith.” Twenty children and their parents learned about the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) from JCRC Mazon Fellow Kate Benedict. Then they went shopping at a local Schnucks supermarket to purchase a week’s worth of food on a food stamp budget of $31.50. The group discussed what they had learned about how hard it is to live on an allowance of $31.50 of food for an entire week. They also signed postcards to Senator Blunt and Senator McCaskill asking that they oppose cuts to this essential program.
Mazon Fellow Kate Benedict explains how to eat
nutritionally
on a food stamp budget
Jewish and Muslim Day of Service
December 25, 2011
A Great Success with over 500 volunteers
The day began with a welcome breakfast at the Jewish Community Center, Staenberg Complex, A & E Building, 2 Millstone Campus Drive at 9 AM. Then volunteers headed out to their volunteer community service sites.
Other photos from the day:
Roberta Gutwein, JCRC Council At-Large member, with
Dalia Abu-zeid at the Harvey Kornblum Food Pantry
Activity at Little Projects for Little Hands site
Little Projects for Little Hands site had various activities that day for the benefit of four different agencies:
Operation Food Search: decorate brown grocery bags for their meals in a bag program
The Animal Protective Association of MO (APA): decorate dog scarves
Edgewood Children’s Center: assemble and decorate birthday-in-a-bag packages for children in foster care
Support Dogs: decorate and fill treat bags for dogs in the program
Read more about this event in the St. Louis Jewish Light
Co-sponsored by JCRC and the Islamic Foundation of Greater St. Louis and National Council of Jewish Women-St. Louis Section
Thank you to all our Supporting Organizations:
African Mutual Assistance Association of Missouri
American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) of Eastern Missouri and its Muslim Task Force
American Jewish Congress, St. Louis Chapter
Bais Abraham Congregation
Brit Shalom Knesth Israel (BSKI)
Central Reform Congregation
Congregation B’nai Amoona
Congregation Shaare Emeth
Congregation Temple Israel
Dar al-Zahra Mosque
Islamic Community Center (aka Madina Masjid)
Jewish Labor Committee
Muslim Community of St. Louis
Muslim Jamat of St. Louis (West Florissant Masjid)
Next Dor St. Louis
Shaare Zedek Synagogue
Shir Hadash Reconstructionist Community
St. Louis Hillel
St. Louis Jewish Community Center
Temple Emanuel
United Hebrew Congregation
Young Muslim Community
Young Professionals Division (YPD) of the St. Louis Jewish Federation
Young Leaders at JCRC Co-Chair Hunger Seder
On April 24, 2011, JCRC coordinated a Hunger Seder geared toward young children and their families. Co-Chairs Hilary Cedergreen and Julie Eastlund lead the Seder, which included a discussion on the prevalence of child hunger in the US, a discussion about the connection between Passover and hunger, and brainstorming by the children about what they could do to help. The Seder was part of a national mobilization sponsored by the Jewish Council for Public Affairs (JCPA)
Participants in the Seder and a related skit were: Sydney and Andie Stern, Sophie , Lili and Jeremy Toledano, Nathaniel , Ethan and Emma Singer, Aidan Oiknine, Isaac , Sara and Jessie Eastlund,Benjamin , Chloe and Eliza Cedergreen and Macey, Eli and Lila Goldstein
At the Seder Table
Hilary Cedergreen explains the prevalence of child hunger
Julie Eastlund and the children talk about the connection between Passover and hunger
The children resolve to make a difference
REFLECTIONS ON THE HUNGER SEDER FROM SOME OF THE CHILDREN:
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Benjamin, age 11: “Hunger has been going on for a long time and needs to be addressed. This is a great way to get the word out.”
Jessie, age 9: “I thought the Hunger Seder was cool cause it helped me to understand that kids are hungry and it is really sad, but people are trying to help.”
Isaac, age 11: “I liked the Hunger Seder because it taught me that I might know people who are hungry and I can help. I also learned that people who take charity might not want others to know they take charity and that there are ways to give without hurting someone’s pride."
Chloe, age 9: “The best part of the seder was the play. I think and hope that child hunger stops.”
Sara, age 11: “We can make a difference and help kids like us from starving in a lot of ways. Like the back pack program where they send kids home with food on the weekend."
LEARN MORE ABOUT THINGS YOU CAN DO TO ALLEVIATE HUNGER:
National Resources:
Mazon: A Jewish Response to Hunger (national non-profit dedicated to preventing and alleviating hunger among people of all faiths and backgrounds) http://mazon.org
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Bread for the World (national group that advocates for policies that reduce hunger at home and abroad) http://www.bread.org/
Local Resources:
Harvey Kornblum Jewish Food Pantry (part of Jewish Family & Children’s Service)
http://www.jewishinstlouis.org/IR/community-directory.aspx?id=7163
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Christmas Eve Jewish-Muslim Volunteer Project supports Bi-Lingual International Assistant Services
On Friday morning, December 24, members of the Jewish and Muslim communities joined together to volunteer on behalf of Bi-Lingual International Assistant Services, an agency that provides services to elderly and disabled immigrants in the St. Louis region. Volunteers delivered packages of food and gifts to the clients of BIAS.
Pictured Below:
Top: Anees Majeed, Aliya Bhatti, Zubaida Ibrahim of the Islamic Foundation of Greater St. Louis
Middle: BIAS Executive Director Julia Ostropolsky (left) with the Eastlund family, members of Shaare Emeth Congregation
Bottom Left: Fred Levko and Henry Feldstein of B'nai Amoona
Bottom Right: Members of BSKI volunteer, including (left to right) Gail Appleson, Margaret Gillerman, Cindy Payant and Fred Blumenthal
 
Summer SLICE: Opportunity for Teens
JCRC Teens help residents of Kinloch at 2010 Summer SLICE Community Service Camp.
During the week of July 12-16, 2010, a group of teens sponsored by JCRC attended St. Louis Interfaith Community Explorations (SLICE) Camp. SLICE is sponsored by Interfaith Partnership/Faith Beyond Walls. JCRC campers worked alongside campers from the Christian, Muslim and Hindu communities serving as counselors at the Kinloch summer camp and doing yard work, organizing the library and organizing work areas at the Kinloch Learning Center. Students also learned more about poverty by participating in a Poverty Simulation on the first day of camp.
JCRC SLICE Campers (l. to r.): Alex Jacks, Aaron Garriga, Miranda Rubin, Maddie Lapp, Ezra Amacher, Hannah Cropf, Harika Upadhyayula, and Dena Selig
SLICE campers help organize books in the Kinloch Learning Center Library
2010 Cheshvan Activities A Success
During the Jewish month of Cheshvan, October 9-November 7, the JCRC coordinated several community drives to help those in need. A children’s book drive collected several hundred books donated to area Head Start programs and children in the St. Louis public schools via the community organizations Ready Readers and UrbanFuture. In this photo are Chloe and Benjamin Cedergreen, with books they helped deliver to Ready Readers. 
CROP Walk—Five area congregations and close to 100 walkers from the Jewish community participated in the 2010 St. Louis area Communities Responding to Overcome Poverty (CROP) Walk on October 24. More information and photos here.
About
The JCRC Bohm Social Justice Initiative works in partnership with Jewish agencies, congregations and organizations to engage Jewish individuals and groups in meaningful social justice learning and effective social action projects, most of which take place within the St. Louis interfaith/intergroup community.
Social Justice refers to the recognition of social inequality and the commitment to rectify through action, service, and education.
Social Action is our ability to mobilize on behalf of a cause – volunteering, advocating, teaching, mentoring, giving resources/goods or money.
Please see our Volunteer and Donate Goods pages to learn more about how YOU can get involved.
For more information contact Gail Wechsler (314) 442-3894 or gwechsler@jcrcstl.org
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"It is not for you to complete the work, nor are you free to desist from it."
Rabbi Tarfon, Pirke Avot 2:20
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