Rachel Schwartz & Steve Schrauder on “Poverty and Jewish Community”

To the Editor:

Ilana Horwitz’s insightful article “Poverty and Jewish Community” correctly highlights the challenge of reaching Jewish individuals who exist on the margins of communal life. She notes that the infrastructure of mutual aid, while powerful, can inadvertently exclude those lacking strong social connections.

We at the Jewish Relief Agency (JRA) of Philadelphia were saddened to read that Kari, a mother in our service area, felt that there hadn’t been “any outreach from the  JRA or any of the resources around here.”

This experience reflects the painful reality of isolation for some in our community, and as an organization dedicated to helping those caught in the crisis of food insecurity, JRA does not wait for the vulnerable to come to us; we actively seek them out.

To reach Jews who might not be connected to traditional food programs, we recently partnered with Chesed Philly to provide 118 food boxes as gifts to their clients. This effort was a tangible gesture to remind individuals — who may feel isolated or too ashamed to ask — that JRA is here to help and that they are not forgotten. As a result of this outreach, 13 new families have signed up to receive food packages from JRA. We all need various kinds of help throughout our lives, and as so many of us have experienced, asking for it can sometimes be the greatest barrier to receiving.

This is where the collective responsibility of our community meets the necessity of individual action. Hillel the Elder taught in Pirkei Avot (2:4), “Do not separate yourself from the community.” The maxim is applicable to all members of the community, as we are all givers and receivers in different ways. By demonstrating consistent, visible, and dignified outreach, we hope to build the trust necessary to close the gap between those we serve and those who, sadly, remain isolated from the communal help they deserve. Our commitment is to make sure that geography, class, and family structure never prevent anyone in the Jewish community from accessing aid.

This is why Horowitz’s focus on the social-bonding potential of horizontal and vertical relationships is so on point. It is tremendously difficult for any nonprofit organization, no matter how dedicated, to reach and sustain assistance for individuals who have fundamentally removed themselves from all communal touchpoints. Our safety net is built on relationships, but it requires a connection point — a rabbi, a school, a friend, or even a single phone call — to activate. Our constant work is to widen the net, remove the stigma, and lower the barriers to entry, and we call on anyone who could use our help to take the first, brave step of contact.

We noted with appreciation that, in their streamed Sapir Conversation on December 18, Horwitz and Phil Getz acknowledged JRA’s invaluable work. We feel likewise about Sapir and thank you for devoting attention to this important issue facing our community.