Families of The Community Synagogue Help Families in Need Prepare for Thanksgiving

More than 150 members of  and  gathered Thursday afternoon at Community Synagogue to participate in UJA-Federation's Families Helping Families. It's a program in which volunteers prepare baskets of food, crafts, and housekeeping items, which are then delivered to families in need of a Thanksgiving meal. 

Members of the temple provided Thanksgiving treats such as turkeys or coupons for turkeys, cranberry sauce, yams, stuffing, desserts, and any appropriate item to help create a memorable Thanksgiving for the needy in Port Washington and other areas in Nassau County.

"[We do this] because otherwise these people wouldn't have Thanksgiving," said Tammy Kornfeld, marketing manager of UJA Federation.   "It's a nice project. No one likes to think there's a family that wouldn't have a Thanksgiving meal."

UJA Federation has been hosting the event for seven years, and this year's was the second held at The Community Synagogue.  With lists of items to include in hand, the bustling mob of volunteers lined up at long tables covered with canned goods and other packaged food previously collected and laid out. Participants assembled and decorated their baskets in preparation of personally delivering the packages to assigned families.

According to chairperson Susan Israel, the generous turnout was largely due in part to the high number of young people working toward bar and bat mitzvahs this year. 

"About 96 kids are becoming b'nai mitzvah, so there's a huge outpouring of support for each other," noted Israel, whose daughter Alanna helped out as part of a peer's mitzvah project.

Others, like the Welsh family, were present simply for the enjoyment of lending a helping hand.

"This is our fifth year doing it – I just think it's incredible," said temple member Melissa Welsh.  "We moved here from California, and we're really impressed [with the temple and the program].  Every year it seems like there's more families."

Welsh was accompanied by her son, Max, and her daughter, Lily, who also spoke highly of the program.

"I love it," said Lily Welsh.  "It's really fun."

In her speech at the start of the program, Israel spoke about the benefits of UJA-Federation, and stressed the importance of participating in programs like Families Helping Families.

"Caring isn't enough," said Israel to the packed room.  "Caring doesn't put food on the shelves of food pantries, it doesn't help Holocaust survivors live with dignity.  Caring alone doesn't provide support to our neighbors who've lost their jobs."

She added: "Join me.  Make that gift.  Deepen your involvement with the UJA-Federation and make a difference."

Israel concluded by thanking Bari Ziegel of UJA-Federation for her work on the event.