Temple Beth Sholom gives back for the holidays

Through a food drive called Tikkun Olam or Healing the World, the congregation at Temple Beth Sholom collected more than 1,000 pounds of non-perishable food. 

The food drive was put in place last year when Rabbi Michael Werbow wanted to find a way to incorporate helping the community into Temple Beth Sholom's holiday celebrations. 

"Our holidays are incomplete if we're not helping others at the same time," Werbow said. 

As members of the congregation left services for the holiday Rosh Hashanah on Sunday Sept. 13 they were given brown paper bags with a list of suggested foods to donate. Bags of food including kosher items were brought in until Yom Kippur for a total of 100 brown paper bags filled with food. 

The food drive was completed through a partnership with Winn-Dixie to provide the brown paper bags. The collected food will be donated to All Faiths Food Bank and the Jewish Family and Children’s Services kosher food pantry.

 A partnership of giving has developed between Temple Beth Sholom and All Faiths Food Bank. Several temple members donate their time as sorters for the All Faiths Food Bank. All Faiths Food Bank Senior Development Director Denise Cotler was present to receive the donation Friday afternoon. Many of the items that AFFB relies on like peanut butter, beans, rice and canned meats were included in the donations. 

"They're great because they can feed a family and they have protein," Cotler said.