NYC Council Speaker Melissa Mark-Viverito, Council Member Mark Levine and members of the NYC Council Jewish Caucus are partnering in a Passover Food Distribution effort – packing up Passover Food Parcels for hand out to people who cannot afford the high cost of keeping Kosher during the upcoming holiday. The packaging and distributing event is organized by COJO of Westside’s vice chair and President of Young Israel of the West Side Congregation, Sheldon Fine.

According to a recent UJA Study, the New York Jewish community has seen rising rates of poverty, with more than half a million people living in poor or near-poor Jewish households. One in four people in Jewish households in New York City is poor, an increase from one in five in 2002.

This Kosher for Passover food is going to Jewish Residents of West Side Federation for Seniors and Supportive Housing which is an organization providing housing for about 1,800 people, mainly senior citizens, some of whom were homeless. The organization is also preparing food for a community sedar of 70 elderly people on the night of Passover.

The food distribution will take place on Wednesday at Young Israel of the West Side Synagogue in Manhattan. Speaker Mark-Viverito, Council members Mark Levine (Chair of the NYC Council Jewish Caucus) and Helen Rosenthal are expected to participate.

West Side community leaders to also participate in the distribution effort include, Rabbi Avrohom Marmorstein, President of the Westside COJO; Rabbi Dovid Cohen, Rabbi of the Young Israel of the West Side; Rabbi Mordechai Besser. Principal, Manhattan Day School/Yeshiva Ohr Torah with 10 seventh grade girls; Rabbi Gideon Goldberg, Menahel, Yeshiva Ketanah of Manhattan with 10 middle school boys; Laura Jervis, Executive Director of West Side Federation for Senior and Supportive Housing Inc. and Rabbi Josef Potasnick.

(Jacob Kornbluh – YWN)