For Temple Israel, in many ways, 2021 went out with a bang. From collecting more than $3,880 in gift cards for needy children in the community to collecting school supplies for children at Granby Elementary School, which netted more than $8,500, a summer Jewish Family Service Food Drive for young families, to ending the year with a phenomenal Food Drive on Sunday, December 12 for the Jewish Family Service Food Pantry, congregants continued to work for the community.
The congregation started collecting food in mid-November and ended up with more than $7,000 which included about $2,600 in cash to shop for JFS. Members saw the inside of BJ’s Wholesalers and Dollar Tree more times than ever. It was a huge and wonderful feeling. When congregants arrived at Jewish Family Service to deliver the food, they were greeted by JFS staff and many young adults who unloaded the cars. Jody Laibstain and Debbie Mayer of JFS helped guide Temple Israel on the items that were so much needed.
Laibstain told the congregants, that “now, so many families in the community will not go hungry” as Temple Israel filled their pantry with canned goods, frozen chicken, frozen hamburger, mashed potato mixes, cereals, paper products, laundry detergents, and so much more.
Many congregants assisted in these projects. Not in any special order: Lorna Legum, Steven Legum, Andrew Bernstein, Noah Bernstein, Mark Solberg, Sgt. DJ Dajero, Wendy Brodsky, Nancy Tucker, Bobbie Fisher, Phil Walzer, Richard Yanku, Valerie Yanku, Villie Tidwell, Claire Laibstain, Jonathan Longman, Linda Longman, Judy Rohn, Dr. Reuven Rohn, Jim Eilberg and Susan Eilberg. Anthony Wilson and Corey Whitten loaded all the food from the temple into the trunks of 11 vehicles.
The Mitzvah squad plans to come up with some new ideas, as well as some old ones, including a food drive to benefit the Norfolk SPCA in early 2022. After all, those animals have to eat and be fed and be taken care of.
–Norman Soroko