Celebrate Food Justice: A Menu of Jewish Holiday Programs
Make food justice part of your fall holiday celebrations with a project or two from the "menu of options" below, or download the full Food Justice Program Guide.
Can It! Kick off the holiday season with a healthy canned food
drive. Encourage people to bring cans labeled low-sodium, no sugar-added and/or
preservative-free labels for your High Holiday food drive;
Pickin' Time: Visit
a local apple orchard and to donate your harvest to a local emergency food provider;
Give Thanks: Eat with kavannah
(intention) during your holiday meals with food blessings or by making a
"food commitment" (like Meatless Mondays)for the new Jewish year;
For the Kids: Donate tzedekah to an emergency food provider or teach religious school students about sustainable food
systems with local apples and honey!
Preach it! As the community gathers to consider its intentions for the year ahead, and as you experience pangs of hunger,
don't be afraid to talk about food justice. Find Sample Sermons onour resource page;
Let's Discuss: During Torah study, review a
chapter from the Food for Thought curriculum, invite a chef to speak, or host a food justice book discussion;
Break the fast in
style: Cherish
that first bite at your break fast with a blessing, food justice discussion questions, and healthy and
sustainably-produced foods.
Women of Reform Judaism (WRJ) encourages sisterhoods
across North America to host their annual opening meals with programs
focused on food issues and mindful eating, invite nutritionists or local
emergency food service providers to speak and ask members to bring cans of
healthful foods (low salt/low fat/ no high fructose corn syrup) in advance
of events, use them to make table centerpieces and then donate the food
to local providers.
WRJ's
involvement in Food Day builds on decades of commitment to fighting poverty and
promoting health and nutrition. Their 2004 Resolution
on Obesity and Nutrition
explains "it is incumbent upon the leadership of Women of Reform Judaism to
encourage our sisterhoods to recognize the challenge of obesity and inactivity
which threatens the health of ourselves, our families, and the people of our
nation and to take action to reverse the trend by promoting awareness and
improved dietary and physical activity practices." Their 2009 Resolution on Food Production & Distribution calls WRJ affiliates to advocate for legislation that promotes food safety,
sponsor programs on healthy eating, create gardens and share produce with local
food banks, and educate their members on fair trade foods.
WRJ sisterhoods have been working with
food pantries and advocating for food justice for years. WRJ is excited
to ally their efforts with the Green Table, Just Table initiative and the Food
Day Campaign.
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