Jewish groups addressing hunger in Valley during high holiday

YOUNGSTOWN

“Go the Distance to End Hunger” defines the goal of the 23rd annual High Holiday Food Drive.

Bonnie Deutsch Burdman, director of the Jewish Community Relations Council of the Youngstown Area Jewish Federation, and Emma Hetson, vice president of the Youngstown Chapter of B’nai B’rith Youth Organization, said their organizations are partnering in the effort to address the issue of food insecurity in the Valley. They spoke Tuesday afternoon at the Jewish Community Center, 505 Gypsy Lane.

“The High Holiday food drive reflects a faith-based commitment to help those in need,” Burdman said. “This is an opportunity for us to do some good as a group.”

Hunger is a pervasive problem, she continued, and the High Holiday Food Drive is a “significant way to help.”

Burdman cited tenents of Judaism — tzedekah, which means charity, and tikkum olam, “repairing the world” — by which Jews are required to do acts of good work.

Burdman noted the High Holidays, Rosh Hashanah to Yom Kippur, are known as the Days of Awe.

“It’s a time of reflection ... on what we did and what we can do better,” she said.

Rosh Hashanah begins at sundown today and concludes with Yom Kippur, the Day of Atonement, which begins at sundown Oct. 3.

Read more about the project and the observance in Wednesday's Vindicator or on Vindy.com.