0:00

This special food insecurity episode of

0:02

Unorthodox is sponsored by Meir Panim,

0:05

Leket, Israel's National Food Bank, and

0:07

Mazone, a Jewish response to hunger.

0:13

Shalom Chaverim, this is

0:16

Unorthodox. I'm your host,

0:18

Joshua Molina, and today, folks, it's just

0:20

us. I'm here by myself. That's right.

0:23

Stephanie and Lael are off prepping for Passover,

0:25

and they left the door unlocked here at

0:27

headquarters, so you got me. And

0:29

today, I'm happy to say, I have something very special

0:31

to share with you. You know,

0:33

each Pesach, we begin our Seder by

0:36

declaring, let all who are hungry come

0:38

and eat, inviting to our tables anyone

0:40

who needs food. And in

0:42

a perfect world, we would interpret the line

0:44

literally, throwing open our doors to the

0:46

hungry. Most of us don't do this.

0:49

But at the very least, let's

0:51

have Passover remind us how many

0:53

among us face food insecurity, and

0:55

let's pledge to investigate ways to

0:57

improve the situation. Thousands

0:59

of people struggle with hunger in the

1:01

US and Israel every day. And

1:04

there are many Jewish organizations fighting to

1:06

close that gap, from food pantries that

1:08

give out warm meals and children's books

1:11

to interest groups that address food insecurity

1:13

on a national scale. Hundreds

1:16

of these organizations work year-round to help

1:18

Jews and Gentiles alike. But today, as

1:20

we approach Passover, we're going to focus

1:22

on just three, and we're going to

1:24

look at how each tackles the issue

1:26

from a different angle. Up

1:28

first, we're going to take you inside one

1:31

of Israel's busiest food pantries. Our

1:33

producers Courtney Hazlett and Eli Blyer recently

1:35

visited the Jerusalem branch of Meir Panim,

1:38

which distributes meals to all who

1:41

come. They met Mimi Rosemarin,

1:43

Meir Panim's director of global development. They

1:45

met with the volunteers who make it

1:47

all happen. And they met some

1:49

of Meir Panim's clients, many of whom have been

1:51

displaced by the war. Have

1:55

a listen. So

2:05

welcome to Mayor Penning's Jewish Home Branch. This is

2:07

one of five of our Mayor Penning branches

2:09

around the country. You can see

2:11

we're here in our main dining hall. We started

2:13

our lunch service about 20 minutes ago. Our

2:15

goal here is to help people who

2:18

are suffering for food insecurity come in,

2:20

have a warm meal in a family-like environment.

2:24

They come in, they choose what they

2:26

like. We have proper china plates, proper

2:28

silverware, and they sit down

2:30

wherever they want and can meet up their

2:32

friends and just be taken care of like

2:34

a member of a family. And

2:37

every Tuesday, each of our branches

2:39

around the country, we have farm-fresh

2:41

produce for Lickford through Leket

2:43

Israel. And we

2:46

set up in those back tables over

2:48

there a free market. So Tuesdays

2:50

are a particularly busy day because people are coming

2:52

not only to get their daily meal but also

2:54

to get their produce job for the week. Anyone

2:57

can come in. No questions are asked. And

3:00

I think that's something that's really special, especially

3:03

in these times that are a little

3:05

more tense or a lot more tense

3:07

than usual. Anyone can walk

3:09

through the door of any faith, any language,

3:11

any denomination, and come in

3:13

and be welcomed like anyone else and sit

3:15

where they please and just be taken care

3:17

of. Passover preparation starts like

3:20

literally today. So we

3:22

have matzah deliveries in the corner there.

3:24

We have perm decorations fill up. So

3:26

it is usually a tad more calm.

3:31

But lively is great and we want

3:33

our patrons to feel like they're coming

3:35

somewhere where they can be really like

3:37

with dignity and respect and just taken

3:39

care of and feel like everyone else.

3:42

So we go into the kitchen. You want to come into the kitchen

3:44

side? Okay. So this

3:46

is a tray table situation

3:48

and patrons are coming in. They get

3:50

a frozen soup to take home. You

3:52

can see and a hot soup. And

3:55

then on the proper China place today, they're getting

3:57

potatoes and these meat. kabob

4:01

sticks, always hot soup,

4:03

all homemade from our amazing staff

4:05

and volunteers. I'll take you into

4:07

the kitchen so you can speak to some of our folks

4:09

back there. This

4:11

is Mayor Penim

4:14

Jerusalem kitchen. This

4:16

is one of our Shay Root-Liumi volunteers.

4:19

There we are. No, no, no, no,

4:21

no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no,

4:23

no, no, no, no, no, Shay Root-Liumi

4:26

translates to national service and it's

4:28

a program for anyone in

4:30

this country that isn't able or isn't

4:32

wanting to go into the proper army

4:35

as part of their mandatory

4:37

service and instead they come

4:39

in they do volunteers and there's a you know they

4:41

have the opportunity to choose a volunteer placement where they'll

4:43

serve and give back to the country in a different

4:45

way for a year or two. In many of our

4:47

branches we have 18 to 21 year old young adults

4:51

that come in for a couple years and give

4:53

back in a different way to the country. What are

4:55

you doing right now? I am doing the dishes here.

4:59

As part of my national service. You

5:02

look very busy. There's a big pile of... I'm

5:05

quite busy at the moment. I'm

5:07

here five days a week serving

5:09

people doing dishes and

5:12

taking care of the

5:14

people here. What's your name? I'm Danielle

5:16

Phyllis. Where are you from? Philadelphia,

5:18

in the United States. We're

5:21

about 15 employees throughout our

5:23

five branches and that

5:26

includes like our three administrative staff here

5:28

in Jerusalem. So our volunteers

5:30

are doing everything from cooking meals, packaging

5:32

them up, delivering them to people, delivering

5:34

them to bases, delivering them to hotels

5:37

where displaced families are being put up.

5:40

Really everything but the best volunteers come

5:42

in and just say like what can

5:44

I do? So you know from peeling

5:46

carrots to delivering meals to working with

5:48

kids in our after school to organizing

5:51

the supplies that we did supply drives

5:53

the first weeks of war for

5:56

goods, for soldiers and for displaced families

5:58

and we had such an outpouring of...

6:00

clothing and sweatshirts and household goods that

6:02

like we still have a warehouse where

6:04

people can come in and take what

6:07

they need. So we're still continuously stocking

6:09

our warehouses and our little spaces. Every

6:11

nook and cranny of Mayor Paneem is

6:13

really dedicated to giving and helping people.

6:16

We have an amazing relationship with some

6:18

other food insecurity nonprofits in Israel. We're

6:20

all really working together to help

6:23

people. So Leket is an amazing partner

6:25

of ours and they work directly with

6:27

farmers to donate their products. So they

6:29

not only give us crock

6:31

full of farm fresh produce every week but

6:33

they produce these frozen soups. I have

6:36

to say for people in the United States

6:38

this looks as nice as anything you would

6:40

get at Erewhon or Whole Foods. A

6:42

hundred and it's I

6:44

know Erewhon is very fancy but like all

6:47

the ingredients are farm fresh and you know

6:49

local because all the farm food things in

6:51

this country are local because it's such a

6:53

small country. So it's really beautiful.

6:55

They make it and it's been an amazing boon

6:58

for our patrons to be able to fill up

7:00

their freezers on days where they can't get down

7:02

to the branch to be able to have that

7:04

here. So we're back here

7:06

at the back kitchen of Mayor Paneem

7:08

Jerusalem and this room, this is a

7:11

very cool room because this room didn't

7:13

exist six months ago and

7:16

we built in this walk-in fridge freezer

7:18

situation. I'll give you guys a

7:20

peek in. All of those soups

7:22

you saw at front and meals and

7:24

this was built in each of our branches.

7:26

We put in one of these big fridge

7:28

freezers right at the beginning of the war

7:31

because we saw a tremendous

7:34

increase in need for

7:37

us to be preparing meals for displaced

7:39

people and for frontline troops and

7:41

the infrastructure that we have did not

7:43

nearly cover what we had in terms

7:46

of what we were putting out each

7:48

day. So we have a branch

7:50

in Svaat is our most north

7:52

branch and unfortunately that branch was

7:55

closed for dining patrons for many many weeks

7:57

due to rockets from Hezbollah in the north. And

8:00

just a couple weeks ago, they had a

8:03

red alert siren while we were serving our

8:05

lunch. So that was quite scary

8:07

for the staff there. We have a branch

8:09

in Tiberias, which is also taking

8:11

care of a tremendous amount of displaced people

8:13

from the Northern border. We

8:16

have a branch in a town called Orkiva, which

8:18

is right adjacent to Qisaria, which is also taking

8:20

care of a tremendous amount of displaced people in

8:22

the North. We have here in Jerusalem, and then

8:24

we have a branch in Dimona in

8:26

the South of Israel, which is taking care of

8:28

a tremendous amount of displaced people in the

8:31

Southern borders. Thank God, many of them have

8:33

gone home. About a month

8:35

ago, they moved back in into many of

8:37

those smaller Gaza adjacent towns. But

8:39

over the past six months, we've really been

8:41

taking care of 15 to 20,000 additional meals

8:46

each day from what we usually do

8:48

around this country. What was the usual

8:50

prior? About 2,500 meals

8:52

a day between our branches. Yes.

8:56

Some of our branches were opening up, coming in at four

8:58

o'clock in the morning to start running the ovens

9:02

to meet the demands. And we've been able

9:04

to recover and get to a place where

9:06

we are still helping tremendous amounts

9:08

of additional people a day, but not

9:11

anywhere near the needs, close to 20,000.

9:14

So Mayor is Travleiten and Panem is

9:16

Faceinheber. And so what we were really

9:18

established to create a different kind of

9:20

soup kitchen where people can come in

9:22

and feel dignified and a part of

9:24

the family, a place

9:26

where people would have arrested, not only

9:29

for a meal, but also for a place

9:31

where they can feel comfortable and at home and

9:33

somewhere where they know that in the winter it'll

9:35

be nice and warm and we'll have

9:37

a hot bowl of soup for them waiting. And in

9:39

the summer, it'll be air conditioned and comfortable. And that's

9:42

the sense of each of our branches, where we want

9:44

people to feel like this is a second home for

9:46

them. Just last year in 2023, it was

9:48

rated the most expensive place in the world to live.

9:51

And there's a very high tax rate. So

9:53

the average Israeli really has a hard time

9:56

making ends meet. One in five Israelis are

9:58

living in food insecurity. One of

10:00

our branch managers always talks about her goal for

10:02

her life and her job is to have people

10:04

come out of Mayor Penny with a straight back

10:07

so that they feel like they don't have to worry

10:09

about food. We got this. They can focus

10:11

on really trying to make improvements in our

10:13

lives and us using our connections in the

10:15

community and the network to really

10:17

help them find their footing and serve

10:20

as a safety net for as

10:22

long as you need it. But also we want to

10:24

help you improve your life and make changes so that

10:26

you can go out and be on the side

10:28

of giving. And anyone can come in through

10:30

the door and even though there are people

10:32

that are saying coexistence is dead, just

10:34

to know that there are places, five

10:37

places at least around this country where anyone

10:39

can come in the door, feel like a

10:41

part of a family, be taken care of,

10:43

not have any questions asked, it does feel

10:45

like good for the world. You

10:50

can learn more about the work

10:53

Mayor Panim does at israelcharity.org. This

11:10

Passover, let's not leave anyone behind.

11:13

In light of the ongoing crisis, Leket

11:15

Israel urgently needs your support. With the

11:17

cost of living soaring and the impact

11:19

of the war, vulnerable Israelis are struggling

11:21

more than ever. Your donation can

11:24

make a real difference. Just $180 provides 130 rescued meals.

11:30

Help ensure that everyone can celebrate Passover

11:32

with dignity. Donate now and

11:34

assist in feeding those in need. Visit

11:37

leket.org/en to donate today.

11:40

That's leket.org/en.

11:49

Okay, so that's the front line of

11:51

the effort to combat food insecurity. It's

11:54

the most visible part of fighting hunger, but let's

11:56

dig in a little deeper. Perhaps

11:58

Like me, you've wondered who asked. Actually gets

12:00

all those ingredients and that donated food

12:02

to the food pantry in the first

12:04

place. Well, in Israel,

12:07

there's at least one easy answer

12:09

to that question. It's Joseph. Get

12:11

their. Joseph is the founder of

12:13

Let It Israel's national Food Bank.

12:15

He and his team along with

12:17

a sewage huge reserve of volunteers

12:19

rescue surplus food from farms and

12:21

restaurants and they transported to the

12:24

organizations that needed After October Seventh

12:26

disrupted so much of Israeli life

12:28

including the tending of farms across

12:30

the south. like it began to

12:32

support the terms of the guys

12:34

and near direct. There's.

12:49

Sir. Joseph, I'm delighted to have you on the

12:51

show! Welcome Thank you for having me. For.

12:53

Those who are not familiar with your

12:55

wonderful organization can you tell us about

12:57

like and and about It's special distinctive

12:59

approach to addressing food insecurity in Israel.

13:02

Source all left out. We can start

13:04

like this like it's a biblical to

13:06

remove the three biblical terms which command

13:08

it's farmers on how they had to

13:11

take care of the fear and we've

13:13

modernized is because in wealthy western countries

13:15

food is just wasted with abandoned so

13:17

we don't have the force farmers to

13:19

leave a corner of their cel.saw not

13:22

pick up things. That. Fall off the wagon

13:24

for those. Remember their Hebrew school lessons?

13:26

We don't need to do that because

13:28

simply put, in United States Israel we

13:30

estimate thirty five to fifty percent of

13:32

food just goes to waste And so

13:34

what the lack gets of the world?

13:36

Do. Is we look for

13:38

sources and arches of healthy, nutritious,

13:40

safe food and we figure out

13:42

the logistics of getting it and

13:45

the logistics of getting it's. a

13:47

those who need it which an

13:49

Rts like most food banks is

13:51

working with. Partner agencies are: soup

13:53

kitchens, homeless shelters, battered women's shelters,

13:55

over three hundred agencies throughout the

13:57

State of Israel. Who gets foods.

14:00

For for what get until October seventh

14:02

we were on case to distribute over

14:04

thirty thousand tons for sustenance and vegetables

14:06

and twenty twenty three while a utilizing

14:08

a team of about one hundred and

14:10

fifty employees but also by fifty thousand

14:12

volunteers working in the fields working in

14:15

our distribution center. So if people are

14:17

even visiting Israel there's an opportunity if

14:19

they wanted to come and linda him

14:21

for a look at the i think

14:23

about fifty percent of our volunteers because

14:25

most of our volunteers or one off

14:27

Senate Com again but essentially the Tom.

14:30

In a once for couple of hours of the

14:32

help out and that's open to anyone. It's not

14:34

work that needs much training in two minutes. It's

14:36

the kind of work that people can do happily

14:39

for a couple of hours. I think it's awesome.

14:41

Report less than because we see after a few

14:43

hours and people say how hard it is a

14:45

backbreaking it is. It gives people depreciation that there

14:47

are people all over the world's you do this

14:50

kind of work day in day out to keep

14:52

us fed. A. Glove he said that

14:54

it's it's easy to forget what goes

14:56

into bringing our food onto our tables

14:58

and into our homes. To Sicily, my

15:00

house, My son, my youngest son did

15:02

a bad job making some eggs and

15:04

he threw them out My said do

15:06

you know what it says his eggs

15:08

to get here. And not even get

15:11

broken. you know from the store to the house

15:13

so you can throw away anything sort were quite

15:15

strict in our house is gonna be a lot

15:17

of pursuit of be your son and cookie for

15:19

years. Wow What I would say is that you

15:21

know if you would probably get this little better

15:23

than me is denied. I tell my kids of

15:26

the paparazzi is outside. try to get a photo

15:28

of by Joseph Gentler in a throwing away Foods

15:30

runway that good as and a half an attempt

15:32

that it won't happen. but it's and I thought

15:34

could you give us an idea of what the

15:36

numbers are like in Israel in terms of those

15:38

that are facing hunger and also how things. In

15:40

the, the situation has changed since

15:43

October seventh. The official statistics talk

15:45

about twenty percent of the population

15:47

living at or below the poverty

15:49

line Now. I think we can always

15:51

take numbers like that with a grain of salt. There's.

15:53

A large cash economy there is you

15:55

know people who get held outside the

15:58

system also from from relatives. But

16:00

let's say it's only ten percent is still talking

16:02

about nearly a million Israelis. Who. Need

16:05

help? And are they need

16:07

help? Because the cost of living

16:09

in Israel visa be the salaries

16:11

is quite frightening. And. So

16:13

people really struggled to make ends meet and

16:15

again because we can get this food for

16:17

pennies on the dollar That being are logistics

16:20

costs, it's just so sensible decides Of course

16:22

the volunteers have an environmental aspects of it

16:24

so it's a such a sensible solution when

16:26

they talk about a we need to create

16:28

more food, grow more food. I

16:30

don't really buy that because we're wasting so

16:32

much. we just need to make sure that

16:34

the food gets from those who have to

16:37

those who need an s really work. Thus

16:39

the really the point of like and taking

16:41

someone's trash, turning it back to gold and

16:43

then getting a to those in his of

16:45

the says has to go and how his

16:47

October seventh impacted the situation in his room?

16:49

look I think the poor are so poor

16:51

it as and help them it doesn't hurt

16:53

them. But. What it has created

16:55

is a lot of chaos of for example

16:57

many the agencies in the south at least

16:59

for the first few months that we work

17:01

with were shut down. The new at people

17:04

who had never been poor. And. Who

17:06

won't be poor in the future and

17:08

just this temporary. This. Is

17:10

not having to evacuate and and runaway

17:12

without anything and suddenly they need a

17:15

jacket. They need shoes because they just

17:17

they ran away literally to save their

17:19

lives and so you know that every

17:21

could afford to go and even let's

17:23

think about a kitchen to just go

17:25

and purchase if everything you read if

17:28

you were placed in an apartment. A

17:30

lot of people were placed in hotels and

17:32

they've been served food but even that's been

17:35

a very just think about even if you're

17:37

in the best hotel it has to for

17:39

five months. If you little kids and who

17:41

wants to definitely more, you want to make

17:44

a grilled cheese sandwich. Real said he was

17:46

in full Mom's food. The. One of

17:48

the things we've done to help of you'll

17:50

your rate that is. We set up in

17:53

all the hotels that displaced people are spend

17:55

fruit and vegetable stands. To some

17:57

a single, grab an apple, Grab an orange. different

17:59

kind of. that maybe the hotel is not

18:01

serving. And I imagine the situation in the

18:03

north is also needs to be addressed. Yeah,

18:05

so the north is even tricky. The south

18:07

got the big hits, but now the south

18:09

is, people are starting to move back. The

18:11

north is just basically shut down. You're going

18:13

to have mass business

18:16

failures. The places that are

18:19

within, let's say, normal Hezbollah rocket range,

18:21

that's really understandable. Those people have

18:23

been evacuated. But you have, for example, the Golan Heights,

18:26

which generally, I say in

18:28

Hebrew, Al-Tizt al-Tasqal al-Satan, don't open my mouth

18:30

to Satan, where it's generally been quiet. It's

18:32

all based on tourists. And no one wants

18:34

to go up there now. People are nervous.

18:36

So we're trying to help, what Lekit's doing

18:38

for the north specifically is trying to help

18:40

the farmers up there. We can't

18:42

buy their goods because they can't pick them.

18:44

So we're just giving grants, cash grants, which

18:47

again, doesn't come close to replacing their

18:49

profits. But hopefully, the little bit of

18:51

money that we're giving them is one

18:54

among many that will help them survive

18:56

and then decide they're still going to

18:58

go back into farming. Because if too

19:00

many farmers fail, then we have a

19:02

food security issue, a national food security

19:04

issue that's not just about the poor,

19:07

it's about everyone. And so we need to do

19:09

what we can to help that. Of course, that's

19:11

bigger than us, but we're doing the best we

19:13

can. And if people want to learn more about

19:15

Lekit and make a donation, it is lekit.org, the

19:18

place to go. That's the best place. There's

19:20

still lots of information there. If anyone wants

19:22

to be in touch with me, josephatlekit.org, infoatlekit.org,

19:25

please be in touch with us.

19:27

We've grown tremendously since the

19:29

beginning of COVID. We took another big,

19:31

big step during the war. I am

19:33

sad when we grow because

19:36

of disasters. We have a strategic plan.

19:38

We'd like to grow according to that

19:40

strategic plan. But I'm very

19:42

happy that we've been, especially since October

19:44

7th, which has been tragic on so

19:46

many levels, that we've been able

19:48

to react and help. And I know

19:50

now we're starting a big new project now, which is

19:53

giving grants to

19:55

farmers to help them buy equipment,

19:57

feeds, if they need money just to pay.

20:00

electricity bill that's going to be a major

20:02

private press going forward as farmers return, assess

20:05

damage and try to make a living for the good

20:07

of the people. More power to you in the work

20:09

that you're doing. You asked me off the air, you

20:11

offered me an opportunity to volunteer with you. I'm here

20:13

to ask you the next time I visit Israel, I'll

20:15

take you up on that. That would be wonderful. You

20:18

can come pick in the fields, you can come work

20:20

in our distribution center. Lots of work to do. Thank

20:22

you. Thank you so much. Thanks for a great interview.

20:24

Thank you. Thank you. You

20:27

can learn more about

20:29

Leket Israel at leket.org.

20:32

That's l-e-k-e-t.org. Have

20:47

you ever wanted to live in a true Jewish village?

20:50

Well, now you can. Berkeley Moshev

20:52

is a multi-generational Jewish co-housing community

20:54

located in the heart of Berkeley,

20:57

California. Berkeley Moshev is a vibrant

20:59

community of kids, elders, and everyone

21:01

in between, participating together as neighbors

21:04

in the rhythms of Jewish life,

21:07

family focused, Jewishly diverse, and

21:09

open to all backgrounds and

21:11

family types. To learn

21:13

more, visit berkeleymoshev.org and sign up

21:15

for an information session. Each

21:21

Passover we declare, let all who are hungry

21:23

come and eat. But during times

21:25

of crisis and war, those facing hunger

21:27

and poverty become even more vulnerable. Mazone,

21:30

a Jewish response to hunger, is working

21:32

to confront and address the painful reality

21:34

that millions of people struggle every day

21:36

with food insecurity, both in the U.S.

21:39

and Israel. Please visit mazone.org

21:41

and make a gift to help ensure

21:43

that everyone can feed themselves and their

21:45

families with dignity. Thank

21:51

you. No

22:00

examination of food insecurity would be complete

22:02

without zooming way, way out and looking

22:04

at the issue from a national level.

22:07

Hunger, after all, doesn't just happen, and

22:09

it's not just an individual problem, but

22:11

it's a collective one and a collective

22:13

responsibility. Government agencies and the

22:16

laws they operate under play just as

22:18

big a role in fighting hunger as

22:20

volunteers prepping meals. One

22:22

organization working at this level is

22:24

MAZON, a Jewish response to hunger.

22:27

I love MAZON. It's a wonderful organization that

22:29

I first learned about from my folks who

22:31

were early supporters back in the 80s when

22:34

it was founded. Remember the 80s? MAZON

22:37

trains anti-hunger organizations around the United

22:39

States and it advocates for systemic

22:41

solutions to food insecurity in the

22:43

US and Israel. I

22:46

spoke with their president and my friend,

22:48

Abbi Liebman, about the difficult work of

22:50

affecting policy and about the Jewish roots

22:52

of MAZON's mission. Welcome,

23:01

Abbi. Thanks for joining us. It's a pleasure

23:03

to be here, Joshua. So I

23:05

am familiar with MAZON, a Jewish response to

23:07

hunger, largely because my parents put

23:09

it on my radar. But for our listeners

23:12

who maybe aren't familiar with MAZON,

23:14

can you just tell us what the organization does?

23:17

MAZON, a Jewish response to hunger, is 40 years old.

23:21

It is a national

23:23

anti-hunger organization working to end

23:25

hunger in the United States and

23:27

Israel. MAZON engages in

23:30

the vital work of

23:32

policy change. It cannot

23:34

be the charitable sector alone that

23:37

responds to hunger in this country.

23:40

In the United States alone, there are over

23:42

40 million people who struggle with food insecurity,

23:45

which is the wonky way of saying that

23:47

you don't know where your next meal is

23:49

coming from. The best and

23:51

most effective response to that

23:53

is through our government. So

23:55

for us, grounded in

23:58

Jewish values, Seems

24:00

and traditions, We see

24:02

the expression of those. Values, teaching

24:05

and tradition as. Making

24:07

certain that our communities

24:09

and our government rust

24:12

select. That is best his

24:14

us and that means that we'll look

24:16

out for each other. We did not

24:18

abandon those who are vulnerable and we

24:20

do not judge them. We've helped to

24:22

provide for them so that they kinda

24:24

enjoy that scientists ability that allows them

24:26

batches to live or to thrice. What

24:29

does the legislative work of Muslim look

24:31

like or the lobby and to get

24:33

things done? This or

24:35

two phases. For the sash were

24:37

there always has to be there. There's these,

24:39

the outreach and the education. Peace. Because.

24:41

You have to lay the groundwork for

24:43

the why and the house. And.

24:46

Then you can approach policymakers. And

24:48

say here's the wet Here's what you

24:50

need to know: We have a really

24:52

robust you trust and safety net in

24:55

this country anchored by this phenomenal flagship

24:57

program that is snapped these to be

24:59

called Said Stamps now the Supplemental Nutrition

25:01

Assistance Program which. Is

25:05

designed to respond.

25:08

To as much need there is, it

25:10

is designed. To make certain that the

25:12

more people who are hungry the. More

25:14

the program will grow to cover them and

25:16

when there are fewer is shrinks. This is

25:19

what an entitlement program is. That amount of

25:21

money that we spend. On this

25:23

is enormous. And.

25:25

If all you did was look at the dollar

25:27

amount of the total, you'd be shocked. It's about

25:29

a hundred million dollars here. Now

25:32

I can remember there are over forty

25:34

million people and. The average amount

25:37

of money than individual cats on

25:39

snap is a bad two dollars

25:41

and sixty cents. A meal. This

25:44

is not any way. shape or

25:46

form a lot of money, right?

25:48

So if you're talking about seven

25:50

or eight dollars a day, But.

25:52

It's forty million people and as three years

25:55

if I deserve This is why this number

25:57

get So Out Again is a highly effective

25:59

and when it's. The way. People do

26:01

not spend a lifetime on staff. They

26:03

spend months. And there's something of

26:05

a snap challenge which I remember you

26:07

encourage me to attempts and I just

26:10

for a week many years ago which

26:12

is trying to live on that two

26:14

dollars and change per meal for a

26:16

week and it's astonishing. Even when you

26:19

concede yourself, nutrition goes out the door

26:21

very quickly because trying to buy produce

26:23

is very difficult the on that kind

26:26

of budget right? I did it myself.

26:28

I went to a farmer's market. You

26:30

know, I I bought a tomato

26:32

at a loaf of bread and I

26:35

think some lettuce. It was like twelve

26:37

dollars. Site. While that is

26:39

stupid, okay, because quickly. yeah. You

26:42

have to make really difficult choices

26:44

and figure out what you're going

26:46

to eat or not and may

26:48

teenage son that he did it

26:50

to and what you find his

26:52

eyes. He had bought three bananas

26:54

can I held back on eating

26:56

them? Because I knew he liked.

26:58

So I think that that's a part

27:01

of the calculus six assumes that minds

27:03

as literally millions of parents who are

27:05

on sap. Is. That I

27:07

will sacrifice of that my children.

27:10

To talk a little bit about the

27:12

Jewish inspiration for I'll I love a

27:14

charitable effective organizations that helps people nondenominational.

27:17

He does matter with you Jewish, you're

27:19

not Jewish would just sex or creator

27:21

of this year and a thing is.

27:23

but I like that there's a Jewish

27:25

inspiration to Missouri. You know the

27:27

true nature as how we think of

27:29

our our values are really are rooted

27:31

in that for and a Taurus speaks

27:33

about hunger. Literally hundreds of times

27:36

and amidst foods that you're supposed to

27:38

do. Typically include

27:40

many. That reference the

27:42

idea of making certain that people are

27:44

said in your community. We

27:46

are really guided by the idea and as

27:48

and to Kunal on which is really a

27:51

civic. Some pervasive. I don't think it's over

27:53

used to think it says to camp and

27:55

pervasive because people have embraced their responsibility to

27:57

help. Repair. The world. Which. Is.

28:00

I've heard of when it needs to

28:02

be engaged in Jewish social justice work.

28:04

That is a guidestar for us. But

28:06

most important, I seem to the caviar

28:08

about that salmonella. Hear that all humans

28:10

are created in the image of the

28:12

divine. And that

28:15

we approach one another

28:17

without judgement. With. Out

28:19

a sense as a lot

28:21

of dignity that we are

28:23

all human, we are all

28:25

together, and that we are

28:27

not allowed to sit idly

28:29

by. While. Others are struggling. And.

28:32

Because these teachings to inform who we

28:35

aren't be seems to me perfectly. Natural

28:37

that what we do then

28:39

is engaged in efforts to

28:41

get. Our leadership to respond

28:43

to those who are need we.

28:46

Need to step up and stand for each other.

28:48

And that's really what The Zones. Miss since about.

28:50

And addition to finding food insecurity in

28:53

the United States, the organization works to

28:55

fight food insecurity in Israel. To be

28:57

tells a little bit about that. We

28:59

signed organizations in Israel that are working

29:02

at to try to establish the government

29:04

response there. There's a very small government

29:06

responses. Relatively new and it

29:08

is. Sadly, possibly shrinking at

29:11

this moment when they're could

29:13

not be more need for

29:15

it. Charity. Alone can not addressed

29:17

as serve. Remarkable charitable organizations

29:19

in Israel that has

29:21

worked for decades. To.

29:24

See people when they're in dire

29:26

straits. and a lot of this happens

29:28

when there are new immigrants to Israel

29:31

who are struggling to get themselves set

29:33

up. So we have a special interest

29:35

in. That and then also in

29:38

the Negev in the bedroom communities.

29:40

And that also a sigh

29:43

least because these are not

29:45

communities bad share in a

29:47

lot of see currently existing

29:49

government response to Hunter. And

29:52

we've been pushing for that to happen. And

29:54

they've been pushing for that happens. But it

29:56

isn't realised yet and so part of what we

29:59

tried to do. It happened

30:01

here and say this return. we have

30:03

to see people. And because so much

30:05

of the Negev was destroyed by some

30:07

As and that is the bread basket

30:09

of Israel's there's tremendous increase insurgents security

30:11

there now and it's probably not fair

30:13

to ask you about this as it

30:16

is outside your per view but right

30:18

over the border. In Gaza

30:20

they're facing a potential catastrophe

30:22

is Sam and Guess and

30:24

we do not work in

30:26

Gaza. But. As anti hunger

30:28

as the kids we cannot look

30:30

at this and saying that this

30:32

is. Anything less than a

30:34

humanitarian crisis and that it needs

30:37

to be addressed and food is

30:39

not a weapon of war and

30:41

should never be. were capable as

30:43

as as use of holdings multiple

30:46

ideas and are had at one

30:48

time and this is a tragedy.

30:50

A terrible person on both sides

30:53

and. Our work in

30:55

Israel is about freezing up.

31:02

To spread. To respond to

31:05

the needs and it's country. And.

31:07

Away, then. Again reflects sense

31:09

to his values are work in.

31:11

Israel is about that and always has been

31:13

and continues to be now. And

31:15

this be conversation we have be around and

31:17

I know for you it is. but we're

31:19

all going to open or seder by saying

31:21

little. Who are hungry Come and eat and

31:23

very few of us do this literally by

31:25

open your door and inviting if someone is

31:27

angry off the street to come in. So

31:29

what what can we do to fulfill that

31:31

aspect of the sade or what is the

31:33

best way Obviously supporting was own is a

31:35

wonderful way to do with the on their

31:37

what kind of were kind of action to

31:39

the ordinary citizen take. I think

31:42

said it's important to invest in organizations

31:44

like ours that are working to see

31:46

change here and not as providing a

31:48

meal one time. As important as I

31:51

can be in that. Moment But

31:53

I also think said. It's raising

31:55

your voice is a time

31:57

when you are being made.

31:59

A way. of the

32:02

commandments that we have

32:04

to follow and that the

32:07

education, the resources, the stories we

32:09

tell at Passover are all

32:11

about that. They're about being advocates

32:13

and about seeking change

32:15

and we need to be aware

32:18

of that in our communities and

32:20

whatever level. And, you know, at Mizzou

32:22

on its website, there are opportunities

32:24

for engagement that is to raise

32:27

your voice about issues currently

32:30

in, certainly in Congress, where

32:32

hunger has suddenly become a

32:34

nutrition safety net, a part of budget

32:37

negotiations where it never was before.

32:39

It's a target. And voicing

32:41

your opposition to making that a

32:43

target is incredibly important. And

32:46

that's what we're doing and that's what we

32:48

will do. And so if there's something that

32:50

is an impediment to raising your own voice,

32:53

then support us and we will raise it

32:55

for you. And as you

32:57

say, we need to think about this all the

32:59

time. And of course we do. But this

33:02

is a moment when people will hear us,

33:05

including elected people. They're

33:07

a confluence of the

33:09

ideas of humanity

33:11

and compassion that arise

33:13

at this time of year. And we

33:16

think of this as justice, which

33:18

is really what doing tzedakah is, right?

33:20

It is doing justice. But

33:22

for those of other faiths, it

33:24

is rooted in compassion. And I don't

33:26

see those as mutually exclusive. I see

33:28

them as important complements to each other.

33:30

And this is a good moment to

33:33

raise your voice in that space. Well said.

33:35

Thank you so much. I love being

33:37

here. Thank you. You

33:41

can visit mazone.org for all sorts of

33:43

resources, including their incredible interactive virtual museum

33:46

on the history of hunger in the

33:48

United States. I urge you to check

33:50

it out. Okay,

34:06

that is our show. Next time you

34:09

hear my voice, the adults will also

34:11

be in the room. Thanks for keeping

34:13

me company. I wish you all Chag

34:15

Pesach Sameach, have a wonderful holiday, and

34:17

thanks for tuning in. You

34:22

should know that Unorthodox is a

34:24

production of Tablet Studios. The show

34:26

is hosted by me, Joshua Molina,

34:28

with Stephanie Butnick and Lael Leibovitz.

34:30

Our executive producer is Courtney Hazlitt.

34:32

Our director of production is Josh

34:34

Cross, and we're produced and edited

34:36

by Robert Scaramucci, Quinn Waller, and

34:38

Ellie Blyer, with help from Tanya

34:40

Singer and Sam Hacker. Our episode

34:42

art is by Esther Wurdiger. Our

34:44

logo is by Jenny Rosbrook, and

34:46

our theme music is by Gollum.

34:48

You can learn more about Meir

34:50

Panim, Leked Israel, and Mazone

34:52

in our show Notes, where you

34:55

can also find links to donate.

34:57

Until next time, Shalom friends. Peace

34:59

out.