How do you convey the reality of hunger to a child?  I recently talked with a mother who was helping her eight-year-old son go through his toys and donate those he has outgrown to less fortunate children.  This mom was concerned that, while her son is willing to part with some of his possessions, he doesn’t “get” the concept that some children don’t live in nice homes, don’t have toys to play with, and don’t have enough to eat. 

The truth is that for many adults, hunger is also an abstraction.  Yes, we may fast on Yom Kippur or go on diets, but we know that food is available when we want it.  “Food insecurity,” or not knowing where your next meal is coming from, is quite a different thing, says Heather Wolfson of MAZON: A Jewish Response to Hunger, a national non-profit agency dedicated to preventing and alleviating hunger among people of all faiths and backgrounds.  Today’s reality is that one out of every eight Americans is receiving food stamps* and over 36 million are food insecure.

This week we will celebrate Thanksgiving, a favorite holiday when family and friends gather around dinner tables laden with delicious and abundant food.  Is there something dissonant and self-indulgent about stuffing ourselves while others are going hungry? 

The Torah tells us to “eat and be satisfied, and to bless God” for the bounty we receive.**  So it’s not wrong to enjoy a good meal.  But at the same time, we are repeatedly commanded to feed the hungry and care for the needy. 

This responsibility is a central part of the mission of Jewish Community Services.  Our Jewish Community Food Fund, which depends entirely on contributions from the community, provides individuals and families facing economic hardship with food certificates for use at local grocery stores.  In the past year, needs in our Baltimore community grew at such alarming rates that disbursements from the Fund increased by 44% over the same period two years ago, before the economic downturn. 

“This year, Thanksgiving is especially important because the face of hunger in the USA is changing,” says Heather Wolfson.  “It’s not just homeless individuals and people lining up at soup kitchens.  Hunger is also affecting people in middle class homes who are struggling to put food on their tables, people who have lost their jobs and who are much worse off this year than we’ve experienced before.  Hunger is a more compelling issue this year.”

At this season, we receive many requests for donations to a variety of good causes.  We can’t afford to indulge in “charity fatigue,” to close our eyes or tune out the calls for help.  As we gather around our Thanksgiving tables this year, let’s give thanks for our blessings.  Let’s also take this opportunity to remind each other to donate what we can to organizations like the Jewish Community Food Fund and MAZON, or to volunteer for groups that feed the hungry.  By our example, we will awaken in our children awareness and sensitivity to others who are less fortunate.

By Gail Lipsitz, Coordinator, Public Relations, Jewish Community Services.

*The Food Research and Action Center         **Deuteronomy 8:10

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Jewish Community Services helps you solve life’s puzzles, offering you guidance and support when you are looking for solutions.  For more information, call 410-466-9200 or visit http://www.jcsbaltimore.org.  JCS is an agency of THE ASSOCIATED: Jewish Community Federation of Baltimore.