So today is the Yeshivat Rambam sponsored event America Eats For Israel.
Today, certain kosher restaurants will take 10 percent of their profits and forward them to Meir Panim, an organization feeding the poor in Israel.
The restaurants include: Accents Grill, Caramel Pizza and Ice Cream, Cocoaccinos, David Chu’s China Bistro, Dunkin Donuts, Eden Café, Goldberg’s Bagels, the Knish Shop, Kosher Bite, the Kosher Subway, Mama Leah’s Pizza, Me Latte, Milk and Honey Bistro, the Royal Restaurant, Tov Pizza, Umami Bistro and Van Gough Café.
On Thursday, March 10, America Eats for Israel will be held in suburban Washington, D.C., California, Georgia, Florida, Illinois, New Jersey, New York, Massachusetts, Michigan, Ohio and Pennsylvania.
There used to be a ton more media exposure given this event. I don’t know, maybe it’s become “inside baseball” among the Orthodox community. Most will agree that for a kosher restaurant to succeed and survive, it must be a good restaurant that happens to be kosher.
I’m sure there are plenty of Jews and gentiles who aren’t part of the eruv society who would have loved nothing more than to have eaten out knowing that a percentage of their fees would have gone to helping the poor in Israel.
Do you know how many Zionist Christians there are out there? Next time you go to Israel check out how many Christian tour busses you see, filled with Bible Belt Americans who spend their time and dollars in Israel.
But let’s not get stuck there.
America Eats for Israel needs reinvention, period. If the goal is to get money to Israel to feed the poor, then why are we ignoring a huge segment of our region that might want nothing more than to help Israel’s poor.
It seems like the model of keeping it “in the family” was nice for the past. Let’s look ahead. Not all Jews keep kosher. Open up avenues of opportunity for others to participate. JCC teen groups, BBYO, USY, NFTY, Maccabi alums. Rambam, you are young people, I challenge you to use the social networks at your fingertips to come up with ways to offer gift cards, Groupons, organized lunches and dinners to benefit Israel. People should be tweeting their way through every restaurant possible to tell what’s cooking today. The website for America Eats for Israel, unless I missed it, should have had a menu of each place. Have Rambam students offer free delivery to those who just can’t make it out of the house. Maybe school hot lunch providers would give 10 percent back. Or how about an order at a certain level earns a gift card for a future purchase.
Think out of the lunch box for this.
The cause is great. The idea was a winner. But it’s an idea that’s got years behind it now. Let’s re-invent it.
More money, more food for the poor in Israel. And a chance to do a bigger mitzvah.

Phil,
Although I am growing more open to your writing on more substantive issues, on this I think you are on the wrong track.  Understandably, one is reluctant to criticize the noble efforts of our high-school students.  However, I really think this entire venture is a poor idea.  The way to show empathy for our poor brethren is not to stuff our faces with felafel in airconditioned American restaurants.  How about refrains from a planned night out and send the saved money to Meir Panim or something along those lines, with a bit of sacrifice.

Of course, now that Rambam’s HS is down the tubes, it will have to be reinvented by kids at other schools.