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Temple El Emeth Sisterhood hosts Interfaith Tea
By LINDA M. LINONIS
LIBERTY
About 140 women of different faiths joined together to do a small part in Fighting Poverty with Faith: Working Together to End Hunger. They recognized the theme of the Interfaith Tea by donating nonperishable food items to Second Harvest Food Bank.
The 68th annual event Tuesday was hosted by the Sisterhood of Temple El Emeth, 3970 Logan Way.
Sandy Zians, temple president, thanked the group for its donations. She said volunteers help in many ways to fight hunger. “Volunteers aren’t paid, but that doesn’t mean they’re worthless. They’re priceless,” she said.
Rabbi Franklin Muller of Congregation Rodef Sholom in Youngstown offered the opening prayer that included a suggestion “to be awake to the miracles all around us.”
Mary Lou Finesilver, Sisterhood president, thanked Marion Roth, who initiated the interfaith event in 1946. “We’re grateful to Marion Roth ... good things last a long time,” she said.
Bonnie Deutsch Burdman, director of the Jewish Community Relations Council of Youngstown Area Jewish Federation and member of the hosting synagogue, shared remarks from Rabbi Joseph Schonberger of the temple, who was unable to attend.
All people of faith must get together to work toward the common good, Burdman read from his notes.
Rabbi Schonberger shared a story from his first year at the temple. He officiated at a funeral of a member and noticed a priest in attendance. After the service, he greeted the priest who said he came to pay his respects to the Jewish man, a grocer, who helped families of all faiths. “Holiness doesn’t depend on our station in life but the nature of our deeds” was Rabbi Schonberger’s message about the man’s charity and concern for his neighbors.
Burdman also mentioned an old Jewish saying that Rabbi Schonberger shared: Many people worry about their own stomachs and the state of other people’s souls. It should be the opposite, Burdman said.
For her part, Burdman told the audience that 1 billion people, a seventh of the world’s population, live with hunger. “The world produces enough food, but not everyone has enough food,” she said.
She asked the group to be aware in “a world of plenty, many children are crying and don’t be deaf to it.”
Burdman said her participation in the National Food Stamp Challenge opened her eyes to people living in food insecurity (don’t have enough food to eat). She said five years ago, a single person on food assistance received $21 a week. Though it’s now $31 a week for a single person, the cost of groceries also has risen. Burdman said on that limited amount, it was difficult to buy healthy foods.
She concluded her remarks by sharing statistics that 17.5 million Americans are food insecure, one in seven Americans uses food stamps and one in six Americans lives with hunger.
Rabbi Daria Jacobs-Velde of Congregation Ohev Tzedek in Boardman offered the concluding prayer. She asked participants “not to be overwhelmed by the problem but be inspired by a commitment to God who makes daily miracles occur through our hands.”
Among guests at the tea were Jan Strasfeld and Jody Nudell, both of Liberty, granddaughters of the late Marion Roth. The two remembered attending teas in their youth.
Strasfeld recalled the tea sometimes was featured in The Vindicator’s rotogravure section. “Those were the days when everyone got really dressed up with hats and gloves,” she said. “And it was an honor to be mentioned as one who poured [coffee or tea].”
Though those days are long gone, the reasons behind the Interfaith Tea remain. They are to promote a better understanding among faiths, help overcome religious prejudice and create bonds of fellowship among the women of the Youngstown community. Roth believed that all religious traditions should be represented and respected.
The annual teas are hosted on a rotating basis by the women of the Jewish, Catholic, Protestant and Eastern Orthodox traditions in the Mahoning Valley. Plans are underway to expand the number of participating traditions as sponsors.
The two women also noted that their grandmother valued what women’s groups could accomplish. Nudell said their grandmother was involved in community women’s clubs and saw how an organization bringing women of different faiths could be beneficial. “She was interested in interfaith interaction,” she said.
Strasfeld said their grandmother was “involved in community organizations that were diverse.” “It would have made perfect sense to her,” she said of Roth’s idea for a interfaith gathering.
The women said their grandmother “would be gratified” to see that the tea has continued. “It is a wonderful opportunity to learn about other faiths and customs.”
Randa Shabayek, a member of the Masjid Al-Kheir mosque in Youngstown, attended the tea for the first time. She said it was an opportunity to meet new people and learn about community activities. “When people of good will get together, they accomplish something,” she said.
The program booklet explained the meaning of the ark, the Creation tapestry and stained- glass windows. Suzyn Schwebel Epstein, a Sisterhood member, offered information on the Holocaust Torah displayed in the lobby.