When the coronavirus crisis hit the Essex County Jewish community, agencies providing kosher food stepped up to meet that need.
The JCC MetroWest in West Orange, the county’s kosher meal provider, had to increase its services, said director of nutrition programs Joanne Bramnick.
With funding from the Essex County Division of Community Services, Bramnick noted the program was more fortunate than others because its meals are prepared at the Jewish Federation of Greater MetroWest Plaza Senior Housing Kitchen in West Orange and delivered by drivers from Daughters of Israel nursing home, also in West Orange, wearing masks and gloves.
The driving staff has been able to work through the pandemic,” she said. “We sent out lots of extra meals, including shelf-stable meals, in the event staff could not be cooking the food. We saw a 30% increase and were able to respond. I am proud to say we did not miss a meal.”
At its peak, about 500 meals were being delivered weekly, but the number has now dropped to 450, said Bramnick, adding that during Passover, not only were approved hot meals delivered, but also included kosher-for-Passover groceries for seniors who couldn’t get out to shop.
She noted the shelf-stable meals that supplemented the fresh and frozen meals also helped those receiving the food with limited storage space in their refrigerators and freezers.
The county’s kosher food pantry, located at Congregation Oheb Shalom in South Orange, typically serves between 70-80 households, said Sandra Kaplan, one of its three volunteer coordinators, adding it experienced a slight drop-off the first month of quarantine because people were afraid to venture out. The Bobrow Kosher Food Pantry is open Wednesday evenings and Sunday mornings and provides supplemental food packages once monthly. It is open to anyone in the general or Jewish community in need of its shelf-stable food.
With children home who normally would receive subsidized meals in school, there was an uptick in demand after that initial first month, said Kaplan, adding that, as the crisis continues, “We think there will be more.”
The pantry typically distributes a well-balanced variety of foods, including a protein such as canned beans or tuna, a fruit and such items as peanut butter and pasta. Kids bags containing school supplies are also distributed in September to those with school-age children, and chocolate added around the winter holidays.
During the pandemic, people are driving up to a side door and a volunteer comes out to place the bag of food in their trunk.
To minimize contact, one volunteer family at a time will often handle the distribution, said Kaplan. On Sunday mornings, Hebrew school students assist volunteers.
“They learn about expiration dates, how to look for the hechsher from different organizations and learn to appreciate how some people are food challenged,” said Kaplan. “It is an education in tzedaka.”
By Debra Rubin
