Kol Yisrael averim zeh la-zeh
All of us are responsible for one another.
During times of uncertainty, we hold one another close. As many in our Temple Israel community face challenges related to food access and basic needs, we want to ensure that no one navigates this alone. Whether you personally need support, or you are looking for ways to help your neighbor, the resources below are here to provide stability, dignity, and care. Our tradition teaches that we rise together when we support one another. Please do not hesitate to reach out to Rabbi Dan Slipakoff (dslipakoff@tisrael.org) or Talia Kesselman, MSW (tkesselman@jcfsboston.org), our social worker through CJP and JFCS (Jewish Family and Children’s Services)
RESOURCES:
Jewish Family & Children Services (JCFS): Basic needs assistance & Family Table Food Pantry
Yad Chessed: Emergency financial assistance, grocery cards, food support
Project Bread: SNAP support, food programs, meal sites
YMCA of Greater Boston: Mobile market food distribution
Freedge Community Fridges: Free community fridges across Greater Boston
Falling Fruit: Community map of urban harvest sites
MA Food Helpline: Map of pantries, fridges, soup kitchens & food programs
FOOD PANTRIES:
Allston/Brighton: Allston-Brighton APAC; AB Food Pantry; Tifereth Raphael Kosher Pantry
Belmont: Belmont Food Pantry
Brookline: Brookline Food Pantry
Boston: Greater Boston Food Bank
Cambridge: CEOC Central Sq Pantry; East End House; Cambridge Comm. Center; Harvard Sq Meals; Margaret Fuller House; St. Paul AME
Charlestown: CWS/Adult Ed; DISH Pantry at Bunker Hill; Harvest on Vine
Chelsea: Chelsea Jewish Foundation; St. Luke’s / San Lucas; La Colaborativa
Dedham: Dedham Food Pantry
Dorchester: St. Mary’s Church; Pilgrim Church; Harvard St. Health Center; Codman Sq Health Center
Jamaica Plain: BCH Family Food Connections; First Baptist Church Pantry
Milton: Milton Community Food Pantry
Needham: Needham Community Council Pantry
Newton: Newton Food Pantry
Roslindale: Fair Foods at BCYF Roslindale
Roxbury: Rosie’s Place; Grant AME
Somerville: St. James Helping Hand; YMCA Free Little Pantries; Elizabeth Peabody House
Waltham: Food Not Bombs; Bristol Lodge; Waltham Food Pantry
Watertown: Watertown Pantry; Watertown Catholic Pantry; Watertown Community Fridge
West Roxbury: Rose’s Bounty
——
October 31, 2025
Dear Temple Israel Community,
As we approach November, we face a deeply troubling reality: because of the ongoing federal government shutdown, millions of Americans who rely on the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), formerly known as food stamps, may not receive their November benefits.
If federal funding is not restored by November 1, many of our neighbors, including families, seniors, and working people across Massachusetts, will lose access to the support that helps them put food on the table. The scale of this potential crisis is staggering. SNAP provides food assistance to more than 38 million Americans, and nonprofits and local charities are already scrambling to fill the gap.
Feeding the hungry is a moral obligation that affirms the divine image in every person. It is a mitzvah of the utmost urgency.
If you are facing food insecurity or the loss of SNAP benefits, please know this: you do not have to face it alone. We invite you to reach out to Rabbi Dan Slipakoff (dslipakoff@tisrael.org). As your clergy, we are here to support you confidentially, compassionately, and without judgment. Whether you need assistance with groceries, help navigating resources, or simply someone to talk to, we will find a way forward together.
Our Temple Israel community is not standing idly by. Temple Israel has long made food justice a pillar of our righteous impact, and we continue to expand that commitment as the need grows:
- Greater Boston Food Bank Donations: We maintain a year-round collection to the Greater Boston Food Bank, and right now the need is more urgent than ever. With food requests projected to continue rising dramatically in the coming weeks, both non-perishable food donations and financial contributions will make a measurable difference. Financial contributions can be made via our Temple Israel–specific link and in the Atrium, and non-perishable donations can be dropped off there as well.
- Food Justice Fund: In addition to supporting the Annual Fund, which sustains our justice work, gifts to the Temple Israel Food Justice Fund go directly toward feeding people in need. Every dollar makes a difference. Now more than ever.
- Lunch Making Program: Once a month, our volunteers make over 300 bagged lunches for communities in need. Our next lunch-making event is Sunday, November 16 at 10:00 a.m. You can register here.
- Partnership with La Colaborativa: Each month, members of our community volunteer with La Colaborativa in Chelsea—preparing food, distributing groceries, and supporting families directly. Our next date is Monday, November 17 at 10:00 a.m. We already know how much of a difference this has made and now will have a profound impact. You can register here.
- WhatsApp Volunteer Network: We have a WhatsApp group for people who can respond more flexibly to the La Colaborativa community’s needs, because they are daily, from delivering food to people’s houses, volunteering at pop-up food banks, etc. Email Tali Puterman at tputerman@tisrael.org to get involved.
- Community Support: Our Food Justice Team is here to assist anyone in our congregation experiencing food insecurity or crisis. Please don’t hesitate to reach out directly to Rabbi Slipakoff at dslipakoff@tisrael.org.
SNAP was designed as a federal safety net, not a luxury or an afterthought. It represents our collective responsibility to ensure that no one in this country goes hungry. The consequences will be immediate and poignantly human: missed meals, impossible choices between food and rent, and deepening hardship for those already living on the edge.
May we embody the deepest truth of our faith: that every person’s well-being matters, and that holiness is found not only in prayer, but in presence.
Your Temple Israel Clergy