Living Yom Kippor

You might remember that a few weeks ago, on Yom Kippor, many of us gathered for a day of fasting, prayer and reflection. 

In the middle of our fast, we read the haftorah and the words of the prophet Isaiah came like a thunderclap. 

"Is such the fast I desire, a day for men to starve their bodies?" the prophet demanded. 

No, this is the fast I desire: 
To unlock the fetters of wickedness,
And untie the cords of the yoke
To let the oppressed go free...
It is to share your bread with the hungry,
And to take the wretched poor into your home;
When you see the naked, to clothe him,
And not to ignore your own kin."

Ritual conditions us, trains us for an ethical life. Ritual does not replace an ethical life. 

We in this community are very lucky; it is, all things told, relatively easy for us to actualize Isaiah's admonition. BHA partners with the New Vision Church of Deliverance to get food into the hands of those who need it just about every other week. (If you want to cut to the chase, follow this link and sign up for a shift.)

New Vision, led by Pastor Ed Benson, runs a distribution every week, and it is my very sincere hope that we will soon have enough regular volunteers for this program that we can step up and be their partner every week. 

Our food distribution system is very simple - a truck (or trucks) comes with tremendous quantities of food donated by supermarkets. There is no need to bring a can of tuna fish or box of cereal. This program has food - it needs our hands and hearts.  

Volunteers unload the food, set up a "pop-up" supermarket, and lovingly and respectfully distribute food to our friends and neighbors who need it. 

Judaism is a religion of "deed, not creed" and in the Jewish tradition, there is no more central religious deed, or mitzvah, than feeding the hungry. 

It does not matter if you believe this or that, belong to this or that, or practice this or that. All that matters is what we do. 

If you believe that hungry people should be able to get some food with love and dignity, I hope you'll follow this link and sign up for a shift or two. Even better, sign up for a shift and send this onto your friends, inviting them to join you. Finally, if you'd like to get regular reminders about upcoming justice opportunities, please click here.