Written by: Tamar Moskowitz
Originally published at Jewish Pulse Boston

Family Table Passover foodsMy name is Tamar Moskowitz and I am the Volunteer and Food Coordinator for JF&CS Family Table, the largest kosher food pantry in New England. Our mission at JF&CS Family Table is to alleviate hunger in a way that meets nutritional and spiritual needs. Some people wonder, how does the "spiritual" part of our mission happen?

Recently, J.P. Katz, the Executive Director at Jewish Pulse Boston called me about a possible large donation to the pantry and I was immediately intrigued. He said that a local Shaw's was looking to donate many cases of grape juice, gefilte fish, matzah ball soup, and they knew a food pantry that served kosher clients would be the best fit for such a donation. J.P. thought of Family Table and made the connection right away. This could not have been a better match. Last year, JF&CS Family Table provided more than 18,000 bags of groceries that included Jewish holiday items. I quickly arranged for a couple of dedicated Family Table volunteers to go to Shaw's the next day to collect the precious cargo. These items will be very appreciated by JF&CS Family Table recipients who regularly express their gratitude for helping them celebrate Jewish holidays in a traditional way. It means so much to them to receive these holiday foods and to know that the Jewish community cares for them.

At JF&CS Family Table, we are continually reminded of how fortunate we are to have partners in the community who think of JF&CS Family Table for these kinds of donations. Feeding those in need in the community can seem like an overwhelming task especially since the number of people we serve has doubled in the past several years. With devoted volunteers and thoughtful vendors lending a hand, we know we can all meet the challenge together.

Tamar MoskowitzTamar Moskowitz is the Volunteer and Food Coordinator at JF&CS Family Table. Tamar received her MBA specializing in nonprofit management from Brandeis University. She is very enthusiastic about Jewish communal work and enjoys the professional community she has found at JF&CS.