Spent today at the soup kitchen in Newark and had a good surprise. We served leftovers from the seder; matzo ball soup and matzo on the table were not huge hits, but the brisket was beloved by all! One lady began to lecture the others about the matzo; she was adorable. Now, my good surprise. One of the younger men, age 28, whom I have been advising about his resume, came up with a well organized folder after his lunch and asked me to fax a letter and resume for him to a prospective employer. He also shared his overall plan. I had given up since lately he had not seemed focused.
We will take up our One Great Hour of Sharing offering this Sunday, and its focus areas make our local needs seem like ones we should have solved. Did you know that lack of clean water kills more children than any other cause? Or that North America has 6% of the world’s people but receives 22% of the world’s food supply vs Africa with 12% of the people but 8% of the food? Or Asia with 58% of the population and 23% of the food?
Of course, even the most affluent societies have inequities, and people who are displaced socially, unable to earn or integrate productively with the larger enterprise. This is our sad little lot in Newark.
