On May 15, communities across the United States joined together in dining at participating kosher restaurants to feed hungry Israelis.
Jewish students in multiple U.S. cities worked for months to recruit local restaurants. Schools and groups included the Atlantic Seaboard NCSY, Beth El Hebrew School, Beth Tfiloh Dahan Community School, Krieger Schechter Day School, Ner Tamid Youth and Scouts and Ohr Chadash Academy in Baltimore; Bruriah High School for Girls, Ma’ayanot Yeshiva High School for Girls, and Torah Academy of Bergen County in New Jersey; Hebrew Academy of the Five Towns and Rockaway, North Shore Hebrew Academy High School, and Stella K. Abraham High School for Girls in Long Island; and Yeshiva University High School for Boys (MTA) in New York City.
Participating restaurants included Accents Grill, Caramel’s Ice Cream & Pizza, Cocoaccinos Cafe, David Chu’s China Bistro, Dougie’s BBQ & Grill, Dunkin Donuts [Reisterstown Road], Eden Cafe, Mama Leah’s Pizza, Me Latte [Charles Street], Me Latte [Owings Mills JCC], Pariser’s Bakery, Royal Kosher Restaurant, Serengeti Steakhouse, Tov Pizza and Van Gough Cafe in Baltimore; Chickies French Fry & Chicken Bar, EJ’s Place Pizza, Gotham Burger, Jerusalem Pizza, Mediterranea, Mocha Bleu, Noah’s Ark, Nobo Wine & Grill, Sababa Grill, Shelly’s Cafe and Teaneck Doghouse in New Jersey; Central Perk Cafe, David’s Famous Pizza, Josh’s Brooklyn Brick Oven Pizza and Traditions Eatery in Long Island; and Lake Como Pizza in New York City.
Ten percent of the restaurants’ proceeds on May 15 went toward funding Meir Panim’s restaurant-style soup kitchens in Israel. 1.7 million Israelis live in poverty—and 800,000 of them are vulnerable children. Meir Panim works to combat this with a network of free restaurants across Israel, with meals-on-wheels delivery for the homebound, prepaid food shopping cards for struggling families, school lunch programs and after-school youth clubs.
“America Eats for Israel was a fun way to raise awareness in the U.S. that Israel has an epidemic of impoverished people who need our help,” said Danielle Rubin, project director for American Friends of Meir Panim. “We are so happy with the communities’ turnout on May 15. The funds raised will help so many needy Israelis who depend on Meir Panim for a hot meal every day.”
For more than a decade, America Eats for Israel has been an annual show of solidarity with the hungry of Israel. Originally a Baltimore-based initiative led by students of Yeshivat Rambam and then Beth Tfiloh Dahan Community School, America Eats for Israel is now a national event.
To donate to American Friends of Meir Panim, please visit www.meirpanim.org or call 877-736-6283. Please mail checks to 5316 New Utrecht Avenue, Brooklyn, NY 11219.
