PHOTOS: Boro Park JCC and Met Council Distributed Kosher Food to Hundreds of Families

[PHOTOS IN EXTENDED ARTICLE]

Ahead of Rosh Hashanah Metropolitan Council on Jewish Poverty (Met Council) provided kosher food to over 67,000 hungry New Yorkers at 74 citywide sites. Together with the Boro Park JCC, Met Council distributed food for the holiday to over 200 Boro Park families. The high cost of kosher food presents a unique challenge for many New Yorkers: on average, a kosher meal is 30% more expensive. To enable poor and near-poor New Yorkers to celebrate the holiday, Met Council distributed an increased amount of food because we understand the unique challenge of affording kosher food and the importance of food for rituals.

“The Rosh Hashanah food distribution makes a real impact on our clients, especially those that are barely able to make ends meet an entire year, yet find holiday expenses insurmountable,” said Rabbi Yeruchim Silber Executive Director of Boro Park Jewish Community Council. “We are most grateful to Met Council for providing this lifeline to our community.”

“As we enter the New Year, Met Council is renewing its promise to provide our services with the upmost dignity,” said Alan Schoor, CEO and Executive Director of Met Council. “In New York City, with more than half a million poor and near-poor Jewish New Yorkers, it is not only our mission, but our obligation to ensure that the most vulnerable New Yorkers, no matter their circumstances, have access to kosher and nutritious food year-round and especially during the holidays. Thanks to our partners in government, private donors and local Jewish Community Councils we are able to work towards meeting this need.”

This year the distribution consisted of, chicken, rice, grape juice, vegetable soup mix, onions, carrots and of course the holiday staple: apples and honey. Joining Boro park JCC staff and volunteers, were Assemblyman Jim Brennan and Councilmembers David Greenfield and Brad Lander, Community Board 12 Chair Yidel Perlstein and District Manager Barry Spitzer

BPJCC, an affiliate of Met Council, was founded to serve Boro Park and surrounding areas with all their social service needs, including Medicaid and Health Insurance enrollment, food stamp enrollment, employment services, crisis assistance, immigration, and services to seniors and holocaust survivors.