This past Sunday it was a pleasure to join many of our South Florida Camp Judaea campers and young alumni at the JCS Kosher Food Bank in North Miami Beach where they had an opportunity to serve their community by packing food distribution packages and learn more about the important services that this program provides.  

Organized by Young Judaea Southeastern Shaliach, Neta Shani, this brief but deeply impactful activity reinforced important Jewish values such as Areyvut (ערבות / Community Mindedness) and Achrayut (אחריות / Social Responsibility) which our chanichim (campers) experientially learn every day while at Camp in the summer.  The Volunteer Manager of the Food Bank gave a brief talk to help these menschy kids understand just how widespread hunger is within the community and how the Food Bank provides an important entry point for hungry families who need a wide variety of social services offered by Jewish Community Services of South Florida.

One older boy asked the Volunteer Manager just how much food a needy family might obtain from the Food Bank.  The Volunteer Manager asked the boy how many boxes of cereal his family of six consume in a week to which the boy replied “four.”  The Volunteer Manager explained that a typical family would receive only two boxes of cereal a month and that they only have enough resources to supplement a family’s food supply.  This story inspired our chanichim to do what they can particularly at this season of Thanksgiving to help the Food Bank and the disadvantaged families it serves.   Kol HaKavod to all the young people and adults who made this meaningful activity possible.