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One, three, thirty-eight, fifty-five, one hundred seventeen, eleven hundred, one hundred thousand.
This is not just a list of random numbers. Each of these numbers represents a statistic that Joe Granger, executive director of MESH (Montclair Emergency Services for Hope), cited at a recent MESH meal partners’ meeting.
Some things never change. I remember my grandmothers spending hours in their kitchens making holiday food– everything from scratch of course, including the gefilte fish. I also remember my mother doing the same thing but not quite so intensely. Now, even though my husband and I share household tasks, I find myself doing the same thing. But I look for shortcuts, and I also look to modernize the menu while still keeping the food holiday-appropriate. (more…)
L’shana Tovah to All!
Coming directly after Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur, the Shomrei MESH team decided to repeat the meal we prepared two weeks ago because:
#1 It was easy
#2 It required no additional creativity
#3 It was well received by our MESH guests!
Congregants Dale Russakoff and Shirley Grill are active participants in Social Action at Shomrei. Dale is the organizer of Shomrei’s Mensch Squad and chairs the Board of Family Promise. Shirley was one of the first board members of IHN and currently co-leads Shomrei’s Social Justice initiative to assist undocumented immigrants detained by ICE. (more…)
During the High Holidays as we contemplate the meaning of being Jewish—individually and collectively—a number of us at Shomrei are involved in supporting immigrants in our community. While we reflect, we face an immense challenge in Montclair and throughout Essex County regarding how to respond to the detention and deportation of our neighbors, people who include a manicurist, a pastry chef, construction workers, and restaurant service workers. (more…)
