With the ongoing coronavirus pandemic, frontline healthcare workers have been thrust into precarious positions. In addition to putting themselves at risk on a daily basis, they are also making personal sacrifices, all in the name of helping others. Any effort to make their jobs even a tiny bit easier goes a long way, and that’s exactly what organizations like Kosher19 have been trying to do.
Founded mere weeks ago by Bethany Mandel, Dave Weinberg and Dani Klein, the not-for-profit organization provides front-line healthcare workers with meals sourced from kosher restaurants, helping both the workers and local food establishments. To date, they have donated over 10,000 meals and served over 180 hospital units, numbers which they are hoping to drastically increase in the coming days. Kosher19 was founded specifically for coronavirus relief and is run mainly by volunteers.
Feeling concerned for the healthcare workers, Mandel, Weinberg and Klein decided to come together to create something that would alleviate the stress of having to find a kosher meal for the workers, while supporting kosher food vendors.
Weinberg, who runs the organization’s operations, shared, “Kosher19 was created basically overnight after [Mandel] came up with the idea and got Klein and I on board. Our mission is three-fold: help healthcare workers, help keep kosher restaurants afloat and do something that will encourage others to do their own acts of chesed. The pandemic has made for a very tumultuous time, and instead of allowing it to tear us apart, we were hoping to build something that would do the opposite and bring us even closer together. Since we created Kosher19, I’m elated to see it taking off and being embraced by so many people. We’re really looking forward to continuing our efforts moving forward.”
Weinberg reported that the reaction from healthcare workers has been overwhelmingly positive. While Kosher19 is geared towards providing food for those who keep kosher, they also happily provide enough food for entire healthcare units. On the organization’s website, numerous photos of healthcare workers enjoying the food are depicted and, for Weinberg, it’s seeing those images that makes what Kosher19 is doing so worthwhile.
“It’s been really incredible and rewarding to see how embraced [Kosher19] has become,” Weinberg continued. “We wanted our healthcare workers to know that the community is looking out for them, that we see the work and sacrifices they are making and are grateful. Every day now I’m getting messages from these workers and their families, thanking us for the food, but really we’re doing this because we’re grateful for them.”
Kosher19 is actively seeking donations to help them continue to provide their services to healthcare workers. As with any relief organization, the more donations they receive, the more people they’ll be able to help.
“All donations are used directly to support these front-line healthcare workers,” Weinberg added. “There’s a definite need for what we do, and if you think it’s important and want to contribute, we certainly would appreciate the help. We’re all in this together, and if our efforts can make the load even the tiniest bit lighter for those on the front line, then I think that’s something worth supporting.”
If you would like to donate or learn more about Kosher19, visit their website at https://kosher19.com. Additionally, you can follow them on Instagram, @kosher.19, and on Twitter, @kosher19org.
Adam Samuel is a journalist from Teaneck. He blogs at www.adamssoapbox.com.
