Teens at Temple Sholom keep up holiday tradition
GREENWICH — Temple Sholom’s annual Teen Thanksgiving Cooking event looked different this year due to COVID-19, but the goal remained the same: to uphold the long-standing tradition of providing holiday meals to residents of Greenwich’s McKinney Terrace.
On Monday, Rabbi Kevin Peters and several teen volunteers — wearing masks and gloves — set up individual tables to safely pack the fixings for 25 Thanksgiving dinners and fulfill the mitzvah of tikkun olam through tzedakah — or repairing the world through charity.
“The holiday season is, for most of us, a time of joy and celebration,” said Peters, Temple Sholom’s senior rabbinic fellow and director of Judaic Studies. “However, there are many people for whom this time of year is painful and lonely — even more so this year. On Thanksgiving, we are called to give thanks and to be grateful for all of our blessings. What better way can we give thanks for our abundance than to share some of that with those in need?”
All of the food was donated by Steven M. Herman Glatt Kosher Catering.
Meals were boxed on Tuesday and delivered to Jackie Ofria, who works as McKinney Terrace’s Friendly Connections coordinator. Ofria expressed her gratitude for the Thanksgiving dinners, noting that COVID-19 has isolated many residents from their family and friends. It has also made safe access to resources such as food, transportation and medication challenging for their housing community.
“Every year, the residents look forward to the meals cooked and donated by Temple Sholom,” said Ofria. “It’s a great community event and we are very grateful for the partnership with Temple Sholom. Many of the residents in the building are older and not able to get out as much, so having a home-cooked meal delivered makes their holiday a little more special.”
Added Peters: “As it says in Isaiah 58:10, ‘And you offer your compassion to the hungry and satisfy the famished creature — then shall your light shine in the darkness.’ In caring for the physical and emotional needs of those around us, our world is made brighter. May all of us take up the sacred charge of caring for one another.”