This message has 817 words and will take about 4 minutes to read.

Last Shabbat I wrote about what security means to our community and to Israel and Israelis. This week I’d like to open a conversation with you about a completely different type of security: food security – or rather insecurity. Tonight, many of our homes will be filled with the smell of freshly baked challah, a tradition I grew up with and which Rachel carries on for us. I’m on the road today, meeting with leaders from across North America about PJ Library (which I will update you on next week) and boy do I miss that fresh challah. Smells evoke the most powerful of memories, and there’s something very special about the warm, sweet smell of challah that gives me comfort. But when I think of the abundance in our home, I cannot help but think of those in our community for whom reality is very different. Food insecurity, the state of not knowing where your next meal will come from, affects a cross section of our community, from individuals to families to seniors. Most recently we’ve seen it impact young adults.

The National Household Survey told us this: 21% of those community members living in poverty are young adults. Just under half are students who are not supported financially by their families. Instead, they are trying to make ends meet through part-time work, student loans or bursaries. There are 300 such economically vulnerable young adults in our community.

It’s not only an issue in our community. Just last week, the Vancouver Sun ran an article about how the food bank at UBC is set to see its second 100% increase in a row. High rent, high tuition or overwhelming student loans exacerbate the issue for many. When something happens to suddenly tip the delicate balance of their finances, they can quickly find themselves unable to make ends meet.

We are fortunate to have partners and community organizations that are making a difference. The staff at Hillel do a fantastic and very discreet job of identifying and helping students who need a hand. Their famous hot lunch program provides an opportunity for them to quietly feed those who might not otherwise have lunch that day, all the time keeping them involved with their peers. And for families and seniors in need, the Kehila Society of Richmond, in collaboration with Chabad Richmond and Beth Tikvah, operate a rapidly growing Kosher Meals on Wheels program. We also know that many other organizations in our community, including the synagogues and the day schools, quietly and discretely support seniors and families so that they don’t go hungry.

Jewish Family Service Agency has long addressed basic needs, like food security, not just by providing grocery vouchers, but by addressing the related needs of their clients and by helping them navigate the complexities of social services offered in the general community. And, of course, through the Jewish Food Bank they directly address both hunger and nutrition. The Jewish Food Bank currently serves approximately 300 clients every second week in Vancouver and Richmond, but there are a growing number of community members who live in poverty in New Westminster, the Tri-Cities and North Vancouver. To address these needs, we must come up with innovative new approaches such as community kitchens, partnerships with other food banks, and food distribution through existing community facilities. Not only do we need to be able to answer the question “How will I eat next?” We need to be able to answer “What will I eat next?” What implies a choice. And that’s the big evolution. We aim not just to answer how, but what.

This brings me to the story of Eli Winkelman. In her first year of university she felt out of place, and to try to find some peace and purpose started to bake challah. A few friends joined in. One thing led to another, and soon she had founded the organization Challah for Hunger. Now, chapters at colleges across the US bake challah every week, sell it, and use the proceeds to fund social justice initiatives. These young people are engaged in changing the world through one of the most basic acts a person can perform. But don’t just take my word for it, here’s President Bill Clinton singing her praises at the 56 second mark.

Eli proved you can take the most ancient and humble of acts and still innovate. You don’t have to invent the iPhone to be innovative; a seemingly simple shift in approach can be powerful, too. It would be enough if challah was used to gather people around the table for Shabbat, but Eli found a way to use it to repair the world. I am so proud that she will join us at FEDtalks to share her remarkable story, and I hope you will join me there to hear her story in person.

Shabbat Shalom,

Ezra S. Shanken
CEO, Jewish Federation of Greater Vancouver