Religious School Students Choose Beit Frankforter, Doliner Food Bank

The students of the Temple Beth Shalom Religious School convened their plenary session and the debate began. Over the course of the year, the students had collected their Tzedakah monies in the pushke that was passed around at each session. Now the time came to decide on the allocations process. Who would receive a grant from the students, ranging in age from 9 to 13 years old, and who would not?

After counting the final pennies, nickels, dimes and quarters and arriving at the year's final tally, many different organizations were considered. The merits and shortcomings of each organization were carefully weighed by the students under the supervision of Temple Beth Shalom Religious School Director Robyn Shapiro before a final decision was made. The two recipients this year were the Doliner Food Bank of the Jewish Federation of Volusia and Flagler Counties and Beit Frankforter, a senior center in the south of Jerusalem, Israel.

The Social Service Council of the Jewish Federation maintains a well-stocked crisis food bank which provides emergency food to people who “fall through the cracks” of the system. The food bank provides staples such as cereals, juices, canned vegetables and fruits, canned meats, peanut butter, pasta, canned and dry milk, paper goods, and other items deemed necessary for survival.
Due to the current state of the economy the Jerry Doliner Food Bank is serving an increasing number of clients in Volusia and Flagler County and the students felt that there is still much more we must do to reduce the growing food insecurity in our community.

A walk through the halls of Beit Frankforter, an old house in Jerusalem’s Baka neighborhood, tells a beautiful story. It is a story of growing old gracefully, with meaningful activities among good company, hearty food, stimulating programs. Going from floor to floor,you might see an Ulpan in session with many recentlyarrived French olim struggling with their new language.
Or, you may come upon the art workshop where people paint silk, knit, hammer copper or, in the next room, a group might be engaged in a very serious game of cards.
On the way to the next floor you will pass the large aquarium where fish swim in lazy circles and where many an Elder might be mesmerized by the calming effects of the water and its inhabitants. Add aerobics and Feldenkreis, computer lessons, a visiting crew of animals
that stimulate the frail elderly and a dentist to help with dental problems and you see just how busy the Center can be. If you arrive very early in the morning, you will get the best treat of all: A group of savtas (grandmothers) come to the Center daily, long before 7 am, where they
prepare more than 500 sandwiches. These are then delivered to local schools where they are enjoyed by children whose families do not have the means to send them to school with a mid-morning sandwich and fruit. In the past school year alone over 95,000 sandwiches
were made and delivered to hungry school kids. Quite an accomplishment.

The Temple Beth Shalom students were impressed by the fact that just $20 feeds one child for one month with hearty luncheon sandwiches.