‘Sharing our bounty with those around us’
Teens at Temple Sholom prepare Thanksgiving meals
GREENWICH — Every year on the Monday before Thanksgiving, Temple Sholom hosts one of its largest volunteer opportunities for its teen community — the annual Thanksgiving Cooking Night — to benefit those less fortunate in the Greenwich area.
While last year’s program was downsized because of the COVID-19 pandemic, this year’s event, held on Nov. 22, brought 30 students in eighth to 12th grades back into the kitchen, according to a statement from Temple Sholom. Their mission was to fulfill the mitzvah of tzedakah, the Jewish religious obligation of doing what is right and just.
“Our tradition teaches that tzedakah is as important as all of the mitzvot (commandments) combined,” Rabbi Kevin Peters, Temple Sholom’s assistant rabbi, said in a statement. “When we give tzedakah, we are doing what is right and what is expected of us. When we give to those less fortunate, we are not doing them a favor for which we should pat ourselves on the back. It is our responsibility to feed the hungry and help those in need.”
The teens — wearing masks and gloves — spent the evening preparing, cooking and packaging the staples for more than 150 Thanksgiving meals, which will go to residents at Greenwich’s McKinney Terrace and distributed through a partnership with
Jewish Family Services of Greenwich. The event held at the temple on East Putnam Avenue is one of the most engaging events for teens each year, Peters said.
“On the eve of Thanksgiving,
may we all take stock of our blessings and do our upmost to do the right thing by sharing our bounty with those around us,” Peters said in a statement.