33/601 May 2003 Iyar 5763 www.shma.com

Although poverty and hunger have grown rampantly, the devastation has — until very recently — been virtually ignored by the North American Jewish community. Why? And what can we do to tame the staggering wealth gaps in Israel and the United States that have resulted in colossal poverty and the cycles of shame and exasperation that it produces?

The Insidious Threats of Hunger and Poverty to Israel’s Future Peter Edelman

ecurity is the overriding concern in Israel today. as it does is amazing, but there are cracks and fissures Even if the recent reduction in suicide bomb- — some gaping. Sings continues, the is far from Researchers argue about whether Israel has the over. People justifiably fear largest gap between rich and for the future, especially be- poor of any developed nation, or cause the Israeli economy is is only second or third, after the now in crisis too, in part due The kinds of disparities United States and maybe the to the violence. United Kingdom. Arab citizens Nonetheless, Israel’s fu- that exist in both Israel of Israel — more than a million ture is clouded in other, less and the U.S. ... call into people — have a per capita in- headline-grabbing ways. As come that is half the national av- my friend, the Israeli political question the claim of both erage. But they are not the only scientist Yitzhak Galnoor puts group on the margins. Recent it, “I’m confident there will be societies that equality is a immigrants are disproportion- a government of Israel. I’m fundamental principle. ately poor, and too many among just not confident this will be those who came from North Af- the same Israel that our par- rica and western Asia 50 years ents fought to create.” ago have never been fully inte- The Israel of chalutzim and kibbutzim that I learned grated economically, especially those living in the about in Talmud and religious school has van- Negev. ished. Israel is now five “nations” coexisting uneas- Exacerbating both the group divisions and the eco- ily, and poorly sharing power and the economic pie. nomic gaps is the continuing domination by the Ashkenazim, Mizrahim, Russians, the ultra-Orthodox, Ashkenazim of the economic and cultural life of the and Israeli Arabs all come from different places — country. Partly in response, many among the figuratively for sure and literally in most instances. It marginalized vote in ways that seem contrary to their sometimes seems unrealistic to hope that these five interests. Rejecting the Ashkenazi-dominated parties distinct entities might successfully coalesce as a ma- of the left, they keep choosing people who, in office, ture society. That the country remains as democratic ignore them — proof yet again that the psychology of

INSIDE Peter Edelman: Insidious Threats ...... 1 Nachum Ido: Leaving Poverty Behind ...... 10 Jenny Cohen-Khallas: Penury and Hunger in Israel ..... 2 Sari Revkin: Bringing Justice & Righteousness to Life .... 11 Danny Pins: Employment Not Poverty ...... 4 Robert Karp: NiSh’ma ...... 12 Eitan Michaeli and H’ir Aldin Elbaz: Not Invisible ...... 5 Tony Castleman: Global Hunger: Causes and Actions ... 13 Eliezer David Jaffe: Wealth, Poverty, and the Vision .... 7 Mark E. Talisman: Hunger is a Challenge ...... 15 Daniel Gutwein: The Privatization Revolution ...... 9 Project Manna ...... www.SocialAction.com/manna

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group identity can be a more powerful political mo- threaten the continuing capacity of the economy to tivator than economic self-interest. generate enough income to sustain a broad middle The combination of the Intifada, the conserva- class. Any hope of knitting together the five highly tive government it caused to be elected, the battered disparate groups that constitute today’s Israel de- economy, and the budget cuts that ensued have made pends at least in part on ensuring all an equal stake matters far worse. Unemployment is well over 10 in the country’s economy and social/civic structure percent. Benefits have been reduced rather than (and on progress toward a more open society, reli- improved. Child poverty has skyrocketed and is now giously, as well). more than 25 percent. Serious hunger — never a But the disparities faced by Arab Israelis raise fur- widely noted concern despite the poverty of some ther, even deeper questions, especially now. Fulfill- groups all along — is now visible and the subject of ing the promise of equality for all citizens should be public discussion. enough of a reason to end the discrimination and the Attitudes about minority groups — in particu- disparities. Now, however, there is an additional ur- lar, Arab citizens — are intertwined with the pov- gency. The grim joke among Arab Israelis is that the erty issues. Arab Israeli unemployment is 40 percent, Jewish democratic state is “democratic” for the Jews and the poverty rate is even higher. This poverty is and “Jewish” for the Arabs. Political equality — the entrenched from generation to generation because right to vote — means very little if one is consigned to of discrimination in multiple realms, especially dis- be a member of a permanent minority that not only crimination in spending on education, which leaves loses nearly every vote but also is the object of a con- Arab children with far less than half the spending tinuing pattern of governmental decisions that dis- per child than is available to Jewish children. criminate spectacularly again and again. Sooner or The reasons for taking action on poverty are the later, people are going to refuse to take it any more. same everywhere — it is a moral question as well as, That day will not be a good day for Israel. more instrumentally, a question about social stabil- If Israel wants to remain a democracy, it must act. ity and the future of the democracy. The kinds of The current position is untenable. Either social, politi- disparities that exist in both Israel and the United cal, and economic conditions will be made better, or States (where, for example, African-Americans and they will deteriorate. That is the current reality. Latinos are poor at three times the rate for whites, and Native American poverty is even higher) call into Peter Edelman, a Professor of Law at Georgetown question the claim of both societies that equality is a University Law Center, is President of the New Israel fundamental principle and, if they persist, can Fund.

Penury and Hunger in Israel Jenny Cohen-Khallas

ere is an example of the new Israeli pov- worked as a room cleaner in a newly opened five- erty. When Israelis see people like this, they star hotel. H say: “There but for the grace of God, go I.” In 2000 they were all fired because their re- Marina and Yvgeny came to Israel from Riga, Latvia, spective employment situations went bankrupt or in about 1994 with two adolescent children, as did were closed at a huge loss. They have mortgages Ethiopian Abonash, with her three children. or rent to pay and loans to repay for their Abonash’s husband died of dysentery on the long children’s upkeep and higher education fees. For march to the Jewish Agency camp in Addis Ababa, six months, their severance pay and unemploy- Ethiopia. I also want to introduce to you Masha, a ment benefits supported them. But, now at age doctor who couldn’t retrain in Israel, so she became 50, they are unemployable. Some sold their cars, an attendant paramedic in a tour company. Yvgeny CD players, televisions. Then they took a bridge retrained and became a computer Webmaster, join- loan. Then the children started working full time ing a successful software start-up company. Abonash to stay in university. Then they tried to sell the

Sh’ma • www.shma.com 2 To subscribe: (800) 237-0968 May 2003 • Iyar 5763 house, but there’s a slump in the market and its size, demonstrating the public’s desire to fund nothing is selling. Then they stopped buying civil needs such as welfare, employment, and edu- meat during the week. Their credit is stopped, cation, instead of settlements and ultra-religious interest payments swell; suddenly there’s no ventures. food on the table and no money for medicine. Soup kitchens have mushroomed as the situa- And yet the open use of the words “poverty” tion in Israel gets worse. While some blame the and “hunger” arouses waves of discomfort and Intifada for the poverty, the underlying causes may sometimes indignation in Israel. Some Israelis are be more complicated. Israel was a world leader in shamed by it. Some say that we must lobby the the high-tech bubble. For 10 years a large percent- government to change its priorities. Some say that age of the Israeli work scene was devoted to train- poverty and hunger don’t exist — that it’s just the ing, offering employment in, and proliferating high- exploitation of long-term welfare dependents and tech services and environments. The bubble burst, the unemployed. But some say that it not only ex- and thousands became unemployed. Older work- ists but also threatens to overwhelm us. They note ers could not find alternative employment. that the government is over- In addition, the wave of burdened with defense ex- immigration that boosted penses and we, the citizens Israel’s population by over 20 of Israel, cannot stand by and The tremendous growth of percent in the early 1990s blame everybody else. (welfare) organizations... brought an abnormal, nega- Israel is no longer the tive socioeconomic balance, single-faceted ideological indicates the enormous the impact of which the gov- society it was in the 1950s increase of families where ernment had not foreseen. when the dire poverty of tens The immigration brought a of thousands of Jewish refu- material support systems disproportionate percentage gees living in asbestos shacks of old and unhealthy people on severe rationing was have totally collapsed. without families, a dispropor- called, not “poverty and tionate percentage of single hunger,” but “national fru- mothers, and a roller coaster gality.” Israel is now a of drop-out immigrant ado- postmodern (for a large proportion of its popula- lescents who felt alienated from their Israeli peer tion), Western, industrialized, high-tech state. Is- group and uncomfortable in their parental homes. raelis no longer share the mentality of struggling There were whole communities of families from the for initial economic survival. Israel is now strong Asiatic ex-Soviet Union, Ethiopia, Yemen, Syria, and enough to enable healthy public discussion of so- Kurdistan who were unfamiliar with Western, cial and other issues. So the fact that one-sixth of democratic society. the population is defined as impoverished is a This is how we arrived at 1,000,000 people un- shocking reality both to those who thought we lived der the poverty line — one-sixth of Israel’s popula- in a comfortable Western, middle-class milieu and tion, Jews and Arabs included, 400,000 children in- to those whose ideological priorities had never al- cluded. In nearly every school, teachers know who lowed them to consider how the socioeconomic comes to school without a sandwich because he or strain of widespread poverty would detour public she forgot it and who cuts back on the sandwich efforts, solidarity, and electoral tendencies from the and doesn’t eat until the evening because the fam- national struggle. One of the clear results of daily ily exists in penury. The overloaded social workers prime-time media exposure to poverty and dem- are helpless and refer the impoverished to nonprofit onstrations in front of the Knesset is that vocifer- soup kitchens and associations that distribute food, ous segments of the public are demanding that gov- clothing, household goods, and school books to the ernmental resources be channeled to welfare and needy. When, in August 2002, Minister of Educa- other domestic resources, rather than to strength- tion Limor Livnat approached the Pitchon Lev As- ening settlements beyond the green line. In the re- sociation to help address the problem of hunger in cent national elections, the Shinui Party quadrupled schools, the organization was accused of serving

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politicians and allowing the government to shirk provide hands-on solutions to various aspects of its welfare responsibilities. But the dimension of poverty and hunger indicates the enormous increase poverty today is so great that the government is in numbers of families whose material support sys- incapable of coping; social welfare organizations tems have totally collapsed, including the govern- today are essential if Israel is to keep feeding the mentally funded welfare services that are colossally hungry. over-stretched. It is also increasingly clear that the Like other welfare organizations, the demands crisis is going to get worse in the next few years. for services have grown. When Pitchon Lev started Until the current conflict with the Palestinians is re- operating in 1998, it provided 300 food parcels a solved, Israel will not enjoy the confidence of tour- month, in addition to blankets and heaters to old ists, investors, or developers. Resources will not be people. It now provides 5,500 food parcels a month made available to develop new employment fields to over 140,000 needy individuals a year. There is a or attend adequately to the fallout of thousands of waiting list of 1,000 families. The needy are referred alienated and asocialized immigrants. International by social workers and include people from all back- embargoes, both overt and unspoken, will not be grounds. Rather than providing meals in soup kitch- rescinded until the regional conflict is solved. ens, Pitchon-Lev delivers weekly parcels of food for Increased citizen involvement and a more at- the family — enabling the family to prepare its own tuned media are addressing the poverty crisis. As a meals at home and maintain its dignity and inde- result, one of the main banners of the recent elec- pendence. Food is also provided to certain welfare tions was the claim of parties — not known for their institutions such as Beit Hashanti and shelters for social agenda — that they would invest immediately battered women and children. in new sources of employment in poor areas, in re- Many people-to-people Israeli welfare associa- ducing governmental waste, and in solving the prob- tions wrestle with whether to directly address social lem of hunger. need or to work toward governmental intervention. In addition to weekly news programs emphasizing Jenny Cohen-Khallas came to Israel in 1975 from the the plight of the poor, the work of nonprofit associa- United Kingdom at the age of 22. She has an M.A. in tions, and dwindling governmental resources for Jewish Studies from the Jewish Theological Seminary and welfare, there have been numerous discussions has done post-graduate studies at Hebrew University. She among charity foundations and the nonprofit sector has four children (two currently in the Israeli army) and as to who will deal with the hunger crisis. lives in . For the past 28 years she has been ac- The tremendous growth of organizations that tive in community welfare work.

Employment Not Poverty Danny Pins

srael’s economy continues to worsen. Recession, below the age of 18. layoffs, massive government budget cuts result- The greatest challenge to the integration of Iing in reduction of transfer payments — all are any immigrant group has always been employ- adding to the burden of Israel’s weakest popula- ment and economic self-sufficiency. Yet with the tions, particularly those with large families. More unique cultural challenges they have faced in and more, Israelis are hearing reports of severe so- their integration, large numbers of Ethiopian-Is- cial difficulties — even cases of hunger. raeli adults remain unemployed. Even many of Among those most vulnerable to the effects those who do work are in unskilled, low-status, of economic downturn are the very immigrant low-income jobs, which are often the first posi- groups who struggled to find their place in Is- tions to be cut as employers strain to trim costs to rael, even in times of prosperity. And promi- the bone. nent among these is the Ethiopian-Israeli com- The result: many families — including many munity of some 85,000, 50 percent of whom are who do have a working parent — depend on trans-

Sh’ma • www.shma.com 4 To subscribe: (800) 237-0968 May 2003 • Iyar 5763 fer payments to make ends meet. As budget cuts rent focus on education is grounded in the belief that have eaten into this vital supplementary income, the long-term effects of proper schooling will en- they have hit the Ethiopian community, especially hance the ability of the community’s children to suc- children, harder than most. ceed as adults in Israel’s job market. Ironically, the subsistence lifestyle that sustained There has been an increased focus on women’s Ethiopian families for generations prepared them to needs, with programs like Eshet Hayil, which has withstand today’s poverty. To this day, many live encouraged some 3,000 women to work through on basic food staples — 50-pound sacks of flour, workshops, Hebrew language instruction, and job wheat, and lentils — and eat meat only on special placement. Other employment programs include an occasions. In this way, they can get by on minimal employment incubator that trains participants for household budgets. But raising a child in poverty is electronic assembly lines and entrepreneurship. hard, no matter how resourceful and resilient a par- Even without the sharp reductions in transfer ent may be. payments Israel is now contemplating, employment As bleak as the picture may appear, closer analy- — and the special dignity it bestows — offers the sis shows considerable progress in helping the Ethio- only real avenue for the Ethiopian community’s pian Israelis achieve the economic self-sufficiency genuine absorption into mainstream Israeli society. they seek. In the critical 25–44, year-old age group, The prospect of government cutbacks only height- more than 70 percent of men and 45 percent of ens the urgency. women are employed. These rates are still far be- The limited means of support so many now de- low those in the general population but are much pend on will soon shrink further still. Unless we in- higher than only a few years ago. tensify our efforts to help more Ethiopian-Israelis This progress demonstrates in part the invest- gain the employment skills they still need, their pov- ment the Israeli government, in partnership with the erty, and their life on the margins of the society that American Jewish Joint Distribution Committee, has greeted them so eagerly little more than a decade made in integrating Ethiopian-Israelis into the ago, will remain as an inescapable testament to our workforce. From a major campaign of finding jobs failure. for men who arrived in Operation Solomon, to a pro- gram that provides young adults with both a 10th- Danny Pins is Director of the Immigrant Inte- grade education and a vocational diploma, the JDC gration of the American Jewish Joint Distribution has long fostered employment. Even the JDC’s cur- Committee in Israel.

Not Merely Invisible But Also Poor Eitan Michaeli and H’ir Aldin Elbaz

A preliminary report on a study titled “Nutrition and Hunger in the Negev” headed by Prof. Vered Slonim Nevo, Dr. Roni Kaufman, and Dr. Jonathan Anson from the Department of Social Work at Ben Gurion University of the Negev offers new insights into social assistance and poverty among Jews and Bedouin in the Negev. The following is a conver- sation between Eitan Michaeli, Associate Director of Shatil in Beersheva, and H’ir Aldin Elbaz, Director of Social Services for the “recognized”1 Bedouin village Segev Shalom as well as approximately 70,000 Bedouin who live in “unrecognized”2 villages. The conversation was translated from the Hebrew by Susann Codish.

Michaeli: In the recent study of Jews and When asked, “In the past 12 months, how often did Bedouin Arabs in the Negev who sought assistance it happen that you did not have food to give to your from social services, 36 percent of the Jews reported child to take to school or kindergarten?” 40 percent that they lacked resources for adequate food, com- of the Jewish respondents answered “It happened pared to 71 percent of the Bedouin in this group. occasionally,” compared with 87 percent of the

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Bedouin respondents. leadership. Elbaz: Usually, studies get skewed downward, As to your comment: It is well known today that and there is a lack of precise data. Reality is harsher families in stress take advantage of every addition than any study. It is generally known that one out of to their income. We know of families whose entire every two Bedouin families lives below the poverty income is derived from a few sheep and subsistence line. However, the whole concept is problematic. If farming near their homes. Because of unemployment we define the poverty line as living in a wooden or and the lack of established sources of income, people tin shack, with minimal amenities, and minimal today look for new avenues, not just farming but also clothing for children in which to attend school — well small businesses, such as running shops in tin shacks then, 70 percent of the community lives below this at the sides of major highways or providing ad hoc line. transportation in pickup trucks — every type of in- It would be interesting to check how the com- formal income. The hope of improving one’s eco- munity itself views the topic of poverty. I estimate nomic lot lies in establishing a small business, even that by the end of 2003, because of the cutbacks in if it is illegal. education, health, and social services, a growing per- Michaeli: Can you illustrate the difficulties of centage of families will be de- the Bedouin existence? fined as living below the pov- Elbaz: It is very hard to erty line. Poverty is expressed pick a few examples from not only in the lack of food, Poverty is among so many. Within this which is actually the last item expressed not only in population, it is very com- affected by budget cuts. The mon to find couples made first item to go is education — the lack of food, which up of a Bedouin husband people will be sending fewer and a wife from the occupied and fewer children to school is actually the last item territories. Such families because sending children to affected by budget cuts. have no legal status and no school costs money. rights to social services. Health, too, will be ad- A young Bedouin man, a versely affected, because father of six, divorced his first families will buy less clothing wife. The children stayed and food, and this will have direct repercussions on with him. He took another wife, from the territories, the children’s health. While mandatory health insur- and they had a son. Today, he has no income at all. ance exists, access to services becomes more expen- During the last festival, he locked himself, his wife, sive. The law applies to everyone who has any in- and his seven children into a room so that no one was come from either work or allowances. But what hap- able to leave the home. He justified his actions by say- pens to all those families who have no income at all? ing that this was the only way he could prevent his Will they still be eligible for health services? wife and children from seeing their neighbors eating Michaeli: It has been claimed that it is precisely a festive meal and enjoying holiday gifts. within the unrecognized settlements that protection Another example is that of a Bedouin family against hunger exists. Even the small scale of unde- with eight children whose only income today is child veloped farming helps critically needy people and allowance. Up until a few months ago, the family provides a minimum income for subsistence. also received a national insurance income subsidy. Elbaz: Before responding to your comment, I They have a wreck of a car, a Subaru that serves as need to acknowledge that the Bedouin community their means of transportation in and out of their un- today is in the midst of a leadership crisis, quite simi- recognized village. Obviously, there is no public lar to the crisis experienced by the Sephardic com- transportation in this area. And, of course, the car munities of the 1950s and 1960s: social conflicts, a was not registered in their name so as not to hurt crisis of values and norms, a leadership crisis, the unemployment insurance, but rather was regis- anomie. The chances of getting a community con- tered in the name of the husband’s brother. A few sensus on any project are low because of the crisis in months ago, the father was stopped for a traffic vio-

6 Sh’ma • www.shma.com To subscribe: (800) 237-0968 May 2003 • Iyar 5763 lation, and prior traffic citations were checked. So offices or with colleagues, I am not ashamed of the the authorities discovered that the car was being services I developed, even when I compare them with used regularly by the family. The income subsidy the range of social services available to the non- was revoked, and the family was ordered to return Bedouin population. all the money it had been drawing. Now they have no income but they do have a debt. 1 Recognized Villages – In its attempt to concen- Michaeli: And, in conclusion, who are you, H’ir trate the Bedouin in a small number of nonagricul- Aldin Elbaz? tural settlements and to minimize the land available Elbaz: I was born in the area between Moshav to them, the government initiated the planning of Nevatim and Tel Sheva. In the mid-1970s, my family seven urban villages for the Bedouin population in moved to Tel Sheva. I studied Social Work at Ben the 1960s. The villages are considered to be failures Gurion University of the Negev and paid for my from a planning point of view. Infrastructure is poor, education by doing all sorts of odd jobs. After com- there are no employment opportunities, and the level pleting my bachelor’s degree, I received a scholar- of services in education and health is low grade. All ship from the Friends of Ben Gurion University to of the seven recognized villages rate among the 15 continue my studies toward a master’s degree in poorest settlements in the country.

Canada, in Social Policy Planning. There, I worked 2 Unrecognized Villages – Prior to the establish- with immigrants and the native population. ment of the State of Israel, the Bedouin lived in all Although I was offered Canadian citizenship, I parts of the Negev. During the 1950s, the government chose to return to where my parents live and to raise forcibly transferred the Bedouin to the northeastern my own two children here. I also wanted to invest area of the Negev. These primarily agricultural vil- my citizenship in this country with new meaning, so lages (including 45 settlements with approximately I formed the Department of Social Services for Segev 70,000 residents) are unrecognized by the govern- and the unrecognized villages. ment and as such lack basic amenities including run- My goal in life is to establish a service that ning water and electricity, even where infrastructure matches the needs of this specific population and to does exist. Unrecognized villages do not have legal serve that population as well as possible. I started status and, as a result, dwellings are considered ille- from scratch. Today, as I sit in various government gal and at risk of being demolished at any time.

Wealth, Poverty, and the Zionist Vision Eliezer David Jaffe

he Zionist vision of the founders of the State build housing, create educational and health institu- of Israel was never monolithic, but goals that tions, provide work, and defend the country. Tall agreed upon were economic stability, se- Poverty today is caused foremost by the eco- curity, and minimal socioeducational gaps. Today un- nomic depression worldwide and the ongoing war employment is nearing 300,000 people, 1.2 million with the Palestinians and lack of peace. This combi- Israelis (531,000 of them children) are living under nation has been deadly for the Israeli economy, lead- the poverty line, and the income gap between the ing to a syndrome of lack of investments, business wealthy and the poor increased by 23 percent in the closures, flight of capital, down-sizing, unemploy- past two decades. The poverty line is 50 percent of ment, debt, and drastically increased welfare expen- the median family income, or NIS 2,768 ($575.00 diture. The government, hampered by serial weak U.S.), for a couple. Inequality is a sad reality in the coalition governments (institutionalized by an ar- Promised Land. Poverty in Israel is not a new phe- chaic electoral system that allows dozens of parties nomenon and is always relative. In the past it was into the Knesset), vainly attempts to counter this de- accompanied by a need to absorb mass immigration, cline by instinctively increasing taxes, curtailing so-

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cial insurances, tightening interest rates, and irre- attrition and decline is a weapon of the enemy. There sponsibly presenting the public with false forecasts is no possibility of maintaining the standard and style of the economic situation. The budget cuts in social of living and services that existed before the war, and spending that were approved before the recent elec- taxes and the welfare system will not be able to fill tions were a minor prelude to what is coming next – the gap indefinitely. Government will have to allocate a $4 billion cut in government spending. Ironically, resources to maintain a basic poverty line while chang- despite the increase in government social spending ing the expectations, priorities, and values of many from 32 percent in 1980 to 57 percent in 2002, pov- Israelis regarding communal and self-responsibility. erty has continued to rise. Those who think that trans- It will have to concentrate on providing education to fer payments (i.e. government grants to individuals more people, creating jobs (including jobs instead of for income maintenance, unemployment compensa- welfare for those who can work), tax relief, security, a tion, and other social insurances) can take the place real economic partnership with the nonprofit sector of economic growth are headed for disaster. Transfer for the delivery of more services to the public, and payments may keep the poor afloat but have not pre- electoral reform that will provide stable government vented more poverty. Incred- with a capability for long-term social and economic ibly high taxation to keep the planning. Creative thinking government running and and planning is needed for re- make social payments has Social work services... will lating to specific sectors of the made things worse, all lead- “poor by virtue of social ing to more unemployment always be needed... but choice,” including some (not and more poverty. This is the they are hopeless if all) haredi men, Arab women, cycle that we are in now. and single-parent families, es- It is very important to government leadership timated in 1997 to constitute 40 understand that contempo- percent of the poor. For ex- rary poverty comes after six cannot guarantee economic ample, it is important to cre- decades of nation building and political stability. ate and subsidize skilled and success in relating to the technical training for haredi challenges that existed when men and women in separate the State was created. These private institutes and con- efforts led to remarkable social insurance legislation, vince key rabbinical figures a relatively high standard of living, universal educa- that not all yeshivah students really want or are tion, and good health services. The economy has suited for lifetime yeshivah careers. Provision of moved from a quasi-socialist to a market economy, capital, equipment, and interest-free loans for pro- with private enterprise and the serious introduction motion of cottage-home industries could help thou- of privatization. A large middle class developed that sands of Arab and Jewish ultra-Orthodox women funds most of the benefits of the present post-wel- become financially independent. Subsidized day fare state, but it thirsts for tax relief. care for children of single mothers and tax benefits The poverty of 1949 and 1960 is not the poverty of would go a long way to protect these economically 2003. Masses of people are not selling wedding rings vulnerable families. to make Shabbat, sharing courtyard toilets, living in It will require rare leadership to meet these chal- tent cities, or living five to a room. Today many people lenges, but economic reality will bring change one way will not take low-paying jobs, now filled eagerly by or the other. Social work services and the voluntary 300,000 foreign workers, and they view government sector will always be needed to help some people reach subsidized unemployment insurance as a personal sav- their maximum potential and participation in society, ings plan. There are problems with bloated govern- but they are hopeless if government leadership can- ment, low productivity, coalition waste, and privileged not guarantee basic economic and political stability, groups and unions. The lust for political power has equal opportunity, and security. These are some of the often led to abuse of public and private funds, leaving current crises and challenges that we now have to over- the cats in the Knesset to guard the milk. come as our State continues to evolve. Until war and terrorism come to an end, we will continue to pay a severe economic price. Economic Eliezer David Jaffe is Professor Emeritus for the study

Sh’ma • www.shma.com 8 To subscribe: (800) 237-0968 May 2003 • Iyar 5763 of volunteering, nonprofit organizations, and philan- (www.givingwisely.org.il) are used worldwide. He served thropy at the School of Social Work of the Hebrew Uni- on the Special Committee appointed by the Begin gov- versity. He is Founder and Chairman of the Israel ernment to draw the Israeli poverty line and helped write Free Loan Association and his books and Web site legislation regulating Israeli intercountry adoptions.

The Privatization Revolution and Social Inequality Policy in Israel Daniel Gutwein

he rising incidence of poverty and the wors- tive mechanism that allocated social services: sec- ening of its manifestations in Israel are the tors that were defined along religious, ethnic, na- Tresult of economic and social policies tional, cultural, or geographical lines. The fullest aimed at destroying the welfare state over the expression of the sectoring policy came in the past three decades from both right- and left-wing form of the activities of Shas, an ultra-religious governments. The economic crisis wrought by the political party that entrenched the sectoring based war during the past three years has merely em- not only on religious observance but also on eth- phasized these trends but did not by any means nic origin. This policy turned Israel into a federa- bring them about. The new finance minister, tion of rival sectors, leading eventually to Benjamin Netanyahu, also uses the economic cri- privatization. sis and the state of war as an excuse to continue In the mid-1980s, the traditionally left Labor dismantling the welfare systems, breaking the or- and Meretz parties representing the middle ganized work and the trade unions in the public classes — among which the Ashkenazi and secu- sector and changing the structure of Israeli soci- lar elements were prominent — understood that ety in a way that will only worsen the inequality the left’s loss of power was not an accident; it was and poverty both in the short and the longterm. the outcome of a fundamental social and demo- One of the main policies that generated eco- graphic change that transferred power to the nomic inequality and poverty in Israel was the Mizrahim, the haredim, and through them to the privatization revolution that Israel has under- right. To ensure prolonging its hegemony, the gone since the 1970s. In the mid-1970s, Israel had middle class also started to adopt a privatization one of the smallest economic social gaps of West- policy. By privatizing and commercializing the ern societies. But by the mid-1990s, the country’s social services, they meant to reduce the state’s social gap had grown so large as to rank it sec- influence on the economy, on society, and on the ond within the Western world. Israel’s ethos of ruling bodies, and to transfer this power to the social solidarity has been replaced by an ethos of marketplace, to professional establishments, and privatization. The privatization revolution was to the civil society in which the middle classes conducted in two tracks: sectorization by the retained their power. Thus, for example, it was right and commercialization by the left. Both Yitzhak Rabin’s support of the dismantling of the of them, however, advanced economic and so- Histadrut that hastened the privatization of health cial inequality. After the 1977 defeat of the La- services and the labor market; similarly, Meretz bor Party, Menachem Begin’s government un- ministers acted to hasten the privatization of the derstood that dismantling the universal wel- educational system. fare state was a means of hurting the power The most far-reaching political influence of bases from which the left drew its strength. A the privatization revolution is found in the middle central target was the Histadrut — the primary class, which — though the champion of axis of the Labor Party and one of the anchors of privatization — is increasingly becoming its vic- the Israeli universal welfare system. The uni- tims and downwardly mobile. Based on the ex- versal welfare state was replaced by an alterna- periences of other Western countries that have un-

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dergone similar changes, this new situation places for a common cause against the privatization revo- the downwardly mobile class at a crossroads lution and for the rehabilitation and moderniza- where it has two alternatives. It can look back tion of the welfare state. longingly at the privileges of the past, adopting a The fulfillment of this goal is now the challenge “politics of hatred” that emphasizes the cultural of the Israeli left, which can rehabilitate itself if it differences between it and other identity groups chooses to distance itself from its neo-liberal past and within the population and fight for its slice of the to adopt an agenda focused on economic growth and shrinking pie. Alternately, the interests common social equality. to both the downwardly mobile middle class and the lower classes may serve to bridge the cultural Daniel Gutwein teaches at the University of . differences that divide them and to be the basis Translation by Susann Codish.

Leaving Poverty Behind Nachum Ido

t is much too simplistic to suggest that the rise of the high-tech market, and the high rate of un- in poverty and inequality is caused primarily by employment that is forcing high government ex- I privatization. The Israeli economy has under- penditures in the form of national insurance al- gone significant upheavals that have all but de- lowances. These allowances — intended to help stroyed Israel’s traditional industry, like the tens the poor rise above the poverty level — have re- of thousands of unskilled workers who used to duced the number of people living below the pov- make a living in the textile industry and are now erty line significantly. However, plans to reduce unemployed. Another reason is the phenomenon these allowances as well as layoffs in the public of foreign workers — about 300,000 living legally sector — especially recent plans from Benjamin and illegally in the country today. At the same Natanyahu’s Finance Ministry — will only worsen time, there are 300,000 unemployed Israelis. If the the problem of poverty and inequality. foreign workers were not here, a large number of The solutions to reducing the poverty rate lie Israelis might find work in construction, agricul- primarily in stimulating economic growth. If the ture, and health care. Earning salaries higher than economic plan stimulates growth and causes for- the foreign workers, they would reduce the num- eign workers to leave the country, more Israelis ber of people living in poverty. Only 70 percent will be able to enter the labor market, earn decent of 25–54-year-olds are a part of the labor force, salaries, and leave the cycle of poverty. This is both compared to an average of 80 percent in devel- the plan and the forecast of the Finance Ministry. oped countries. Large segments of the population, The labor and welfare minister has suggested re- such as Arab women and haredi men, do not work, ducing benefits given to the upper percentiles and thus hurting the gross national product and caus- giving the difference to the poor. That suggestion ing the poverty among these families to rise, a rise was part of a package that included postponing exacerbated by the high birthrates in these two the tax reforms that would have reduced the tax population groups. rate paid by the highest income brackets, stopping Researchers at the National Insurance Insti- employers’ exemption from paying into national tute estimate that, as a result of the latest round insurance, and instituting a high Value Added Tax of economic decrees, the rate of poverty will reach on luxury goods while lowering the V.A.T. on ba- 19.5 percent of families in the country and that sic commodities. These suggestions were not 33.8 percent of children — 661,000 children — will adopted. live below the poverty level. While several fac- tors contribute to the crisis in the economy, pri- Nachum Ido is Spokesman of the Ministry of Labor mary are the current state of war, the downswing and Social Affairs in Israel. Translation by Susann Codish.

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Bringing Justice and Righteousness to Life Sari Revkin

re Jewish values defined primarily by Jew- ship, or by helping the individual find employ- ish textual sources? Or, are they what we ment. There is an obvious progression in terms Ahave learned and passed down from gen- of the intention of the giver from stinginess, to eration to generation? The classic Jewish textual dedication, to truly just action. Similarly, there is source for understanding the values of empower- also an evolution from giving a handout as a short- ment and helping the poor meet their own needs is term solution to creatively working to find long- ’ eight levels of tzedakah, which connects term solutions to people’s short-term problems with the essence of the social justice work I do in and needs. Israel today. According to David Hartman, The experiences that developed my Jewish sense Maimonides’ vision of tzedakah is empowering but of justice and righteousness have grown primarily should partner with mishpat — a legal form of jus- from living Jewish sources. During my childhood, I tice that builds on the righteousness and good inten- learned about justice and righteousness when my fa- tions in people’s hearts. ther “hosted” the somewhat intoxicated homeless Tzedakah and mishpat are often linked in biblical stranger for lunch at our table. And even more so when writings and Jewish liturgy. For example, putting on he took me each Friday afternoon to Ebert’s Field to tefillin in the morning, an individual says: “v’erastich demonstrate support for the rights of African-Ameri- li btzedek u’mishpat.” And I will betroth You to me can ballplayers to play professional baseball. with righteousness and justice. The precepts are also Now, living in Israel, I direct Yedid: The Asso- linked in the description of Abraham and his descen- ciation for Community Empowerment, which ad- dents as those who perform tzedakah u’mishpat (Gen- vocates for the social rights of low income people in esis 18:19). the areas of housing, health care, employment, and Yedid’s first level of individual assistance re- food, and works to achieve social justice goals sembles Maimonides’ tzedakah. Throughout Israel, through three different, interrelated approaches: in- in 12 different towns across the country — from the dividual assistance, community programming, and Bedouin town of Rahat to the multicultural port of policy change. Haifa — Yedid works with the poor and needy to At a time when Israel’s socioeconomic gap be- help them understand and access fundamental rights tween the rich and poor is second only to the United such as food, shelter, education, and national health States, I am dedicating my work to bringing justice insurance. From supporting immigrants who are de- and righteousness to life. I want to give my chil- frauded of their life savings to helping terror victims dren the same living examples of justice and righ- receive the support they need, we consider this first teousness that my father gave me. Given the cur- level of support to be foundational. rent tax reforms that continue to favor the rich and The second level of community programming perpetuate poverty among Israeli citizens of all eth- blends tzedakah and mishpat. This approach recog- nic and national backgrounds — a reality often over- nizes that while some needs may appear to be indi- looked amid the overwhelming political tensions of vidual, they are, in fact, communal in nature and the region — my focus is building foundations of should be addressed as such. For example, some com- community empowerment throughout the country. mon issues and concerns — such as coping with cri- Maimonides’ description of these eight lev- sis situations, women’s empowerment, literacy, and els of tzedakah inform my work for justice. These citizenship and democracy education — are best ad- eight levels are often referred to as a ladder, since dressed when the community pools resources. there is a clear progression from the lowest “rung” The third level — policy change — concerns to the highest. The first level regards one who mishpat. Sometimes the poor and the needy don’t gives charity unwillingly; the highest level is one know their rights. Sometimes they lack appropriate who assists the poor by providing a gift or a loan, by accepting the person into a business partner- continued on page 16

11 Sh’ma • www.shma.com To subscribe: (800) 237-0968 gnab NiSh’ma* May 2003 • Iyar 5763

At times a trace of discomfort shaded with embarrass- The Talmud astutely reveals the relationship between “drought” and ment has stirred within me while sitting with friends around “famine” as a mirror of class difference. Drought raises demand on avail- a table, chanting the words of able goods and sets a premium on the Birkat Hamazon, the If some people tithe and others do not, some go hungry their purchase; famine decimates en- “Grace After a Meal.” Baruch and others are satisfied; if all decide not to tithe, a tire populations, leveling economic Atah Hashem Hazan et Hakol. general famine caused by both armed bands and inequity since economic power has no Blessed are You God the drought ensues. Pirkei Avot 5:10 meaning. Sustainer of All. How While defining hunger as an in- strangely dissonant it is to The Talmud distinguished between the natural strument of class, the Talmud inge- sing those words while being calamities of “drought” and “famine.” During drought, niously turns class warfare on its aware of the reality that so rains and crops fail locally. Imported food is available at head. For as Jews, we engage the many in this world are not world broken in an effort to make it high cost, so that only the poor go hungry. During famine, sustained but starved or mal- whole; have or have-not, we each nourished. rains, crops, and transport fail everywhere. Everyone goes play our role in crafting a workable What is the message and hungry. The ask: “Should the alarm be sounded for society. Even – especially – from a pal- challenge of this blessing? It public fast with drought or with famine?” To sound the ace of plenty, our tradition implores reminds us that The Creator of alarm when there is famine is obvious. But, also in the case us to sound the alarm on behalf of All is indeed providing a world of drought: “...the alarm must be sounded immediately, those who stand outside our doors. that has the capacity to feed all for this is a situation where those with money will be able Hunger in America does not rep- of its inhabitants. The bless- to purchase food, but those without will be unable to do resent a drought of public will, or a ing calls us to our duty to cul- so” (Ta’Anit II, 19B). famine of social conscience. Nor is tivate and protect God’s cre- hunger a result of entitlement, sloth, What is the solution? The rabbis tell of the virtue of ation and to distribute the or missed opportunity. Rather, hun- abundance so that sustenance Rav Huna who went to market each Thursday afternoon ger takes root in a field of wasted reaches all. The message is to purchase all unsold food. This practice ensured that resources. Globally, we produce 20 this: God provides for all. But merchants kept their stalls well stocked with affordable percent more food than the entire only in partnership with God food and a joyous Shabbat was possible. world population can consume. This can we ensure that the Divine The need for affordable food is just as great today. is not a matter of haves and have-nots Will to sustain all of the world’s Families living in poverty use their entire income to pay but is instead a question of what we inhabitants becomes realized for the necessities of life. “Natural calamities” — modern do with what we have. by creating a sustainable glo- versions of drought — cause an even greater decrease in The struggle against hunger bal system of sustenance. joins rich and poor, young and old, income. This limits food selection to items that provide Jew and gentile in a willing embrace Yitzhak Husbands-Hankin the most energy at the lowest cost — fats, starches, and of a most noble goal: living well to- is Rabbi of Temple Beth Israel in sugar. Micro-nutrients disappear from the diet. Hunger, gether. Eugene, Oregon, and is active in malnutrition, and their consequences follow. the development of an Ethical- Two millennia ago, Jews were told: Sound the alarm H. Eric Schockman, Ph.D., is Ex- Kashrut. when the poor are faced with hunger,” because they “are ecutive Director of MAZON: A Jew- entitled to share the food supply.” Can we do less? ish Response to Hunger In light of the dire eco- (www.mazon.org). MAZON is a na- nomic situation today in Is- Robert Karp, M.D., is Professor of Pediatrics at SUNY- tional nonprofit that allocates do- rael, religious and spiritual nations from the Jewish community Downstate Medical Center and Lecturer in Nutrition at the leaders should be spear- to prevent and alleviate hunger heading a fight to improve Institute of Human Nutrition of Columbia University School of among people of all and social conditions drawing Public Health. backgrounds. inspiration from texts, like the Pirke Avot verse that Robert Karp explicates: “If some people tithe and others do not, some go hungry and others are satisfied; if all decide not to tithe, a general famine caused by both armed bands and drought ensues.” But voices of Israeli spiritual leaders have been, for the most part, silent within the social arena. In the past few years, the connection in Israel between Jewish thought and text and social justice has been undermined. The spiritual aid, the spiritual succor that Jewish leaders should be providing, as well as the leadership on social issues such as hunger have been lacking. Instead, aid has become a tool for political maneuvering. This situation urgently needs to be changed. Israel’s spiritual leadership should lead the campaign to close the economic and social gaps within Israeli society. Robert Karp acknowl- edged that providing affordable food for everyone is a social task, but it is also a divine mitzvah, vehai behem.

Uri Ayalon was born in Buenos Aires and immigrated to Israel with his parents and sisters in 1977. He is currently a rabbinical student at Machon Schechter in Jerusalem and is a member of RIKMA: Spiritual Community Leadership Training, an organization that helps involve Israeli rabbinic students in social action issues. *NiSh’ma is the Hebrew word for “let us hear.” 12 Sh’ma • www.shma.com To subscribe: (800) 237-0968 May 2003 • Iyar 5763

Global Hunger: Causes and Actions Tony Castleman

“ latbread and salt,” the 35-year-old woman scale? The primary cause is poverty. Even in a coun- said, “twice a day, every day. For the past try such as India, which currently possesses large sur- F month that’s all we’ve eaten.” She gestured pluses of wheat and rice, many households do not toward a toddler and older child playing nearby, produce enough food or earn enough income to ac- “Them too. We haven’t had anything else to feed cess enough food to meet their nutritional needs. them.” Poverty is compounded by other related factors, such When I asked about lentils, the most common as droughts and floods. The recent droughts in south- source of protein in the area, the woman responded ern and eastern Africa have devastated agricultural with a resigned laugh. “We haven’t seen lentils in production and left over 20 million people at risk of six weeks. Now that the squashes are ripe, we will starvation. The woman quoted above lives in an area eat them.” She pointed to the hit by frequent floods, exac- green squashes growing erbating poor agricultural plump on vines stretched production and limiting across the roof of her tiny The U.S. Congress people’s capacity to earn in- mud house. wields considerable come by other means. This woman and her fam- Conflict is another major ily, living in a small village in power to allocate source of hunger. Developing northern India, are among the countries lose an average of approximately 840 million funds to directly and $4.3 billion of agricultural out- people in the world who are indirectly address put each year due to armed undernourished. While vic- conflict. Conflict displaces tims of large-scale famine and world hunger. people from their homes, pre- starvation at times receive venting them from producing world attention and emer- food or performing other in- gency aid, millions of other come-generating activities. families face chronic hunger every day of their lives, During wars, nations increase expenditures on armies largely unnoticed and unsupported by programs or and weapons, which often drastically diminishes the policies. One-third of the entire population of sub- resources available for local agriculture or food imports. Saharan Africa is undernourished, as are nearly half Civil conflict can also result in food being diverted to of South Asian children under age five. Understand- soldiers or in some cases being deliberately withheld ing the global hunger situation and its causes can help from groups of people as punishment. provide a context for understanding, and perhaps Poor policies are another source of hunger. addressing, the hunger crisis in Israel. Zimbabwe’s recent economic and land policies have Hunger is arguably the single greatest cause of combined with drought to dramatically reduce the human misery that exists in the world today. Mal- country’s food production, turning it from a food ex- nutrition causes illness and early death, reduces porter to the recipient of external food aid. This situ- productivity and income, and stunts children’s ation has left nearly seven million Zimbabweans at physical and mental development. By leaving chil- risk of starvation. A relatively recent factor that has dren underweight with weakened immune sys- gravely exacerbated hunger in many parts of Africa tems, malnutrition directly or indirectly kills six mil- is HIV/AIDS. Striking large proportions of the popu- lion children under age five each year and causes lation during their most productive years, the dis- over half of child deaths globally. In addition to ease reduces food production and income, depletes the physical impacts, being unable to adequately savings, and often forces families to sell productive feed oneself and one’s family can also create psy- assets in order to access health care and meet basic chological impacts such as frustration and despair. food needs. In a world that produces vast quantities of food, Governments, international agencies, and private why does hunger continue to exist on such a large organizations engage in a range of activities to prevent

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Inadvertently, in the last issue of Sh’ma, we failed to acknowledge the and alleviate hunger, such as strengthening agricul- long-time and profound support of one of our Advisory tural production, public distribution systems and other Committee members: Jeremy Burton. safety net programs, nutrition education, income gen- eration activities, famine early warning systems, and direct food aid. While these activities rely largely on governments and specialized organizations, there are Chair, Sh’ma Committee of Jewish Family & Life! also actions that we as American citizens and Ameri- Rabbi Neil Gillman can Jews can take to contribute to the battle against Editor, Susan Berrin global hunger. Publisher & Executive Editor, Yosef I. Abramowitz One simple action is to improve our own knowl- Founding Editor, Rabbi Eugene Borowitz edge and awareness (and that of our families and com- Art Director, Yaakov Rosenbaum munities) about world hunger. Greater consciousness Proofreader, Julia Zafferano of the status and impacts of global hunger helps the Rabbi-in-Residence, Susan Fendrick issue to become a higher priority for tzedakah, for po- Israel Representative, Jay Shofet litical action, and for community initiatives — three Chair, Jewish Family & Life! Board, Martin Kaminer further actions. Many organizations implementing Sh’ma Committee, Sandee Brawarsky, Jeremy Burton, Sharon programs to prevent and alleviate hunger rely heavily Brous, Nina Beth Cardin, Aryeh Cohen, Sharon Cohen on private contributions, and extending tzedakah to Anisfeld, Shoshana Gelfand, Hadar Harris, Caroline Harris, them — in the form of money, time volunteered, or in- Shai Held, Steven Jacobson, Phil Miller, Adam Mintz, kind donations — can enable these initiatives to reach Yehudah Mirsky, Dalia Pollack, Jennie Rosenn, Jonathan more people more effectively. Schreiber, Carl Sheingold The U.S. Congress wields considerable power to Contributing Editors: Michael Berenbaum, Elliot Dorff, Arnold allocate funds to directly and indirectly address Eisen, Leonard Fein, Barry Freundel, Rela M. Geffen, Neil Gillman, world hunger. Most members of Congress do not Irving Greenberg, Joanne Greenberg, Brad Hirshfield, Paula Hyman, think these decisions are high priorities for their con- Lori Lefkovitz, Richard Marker, Deborah Dash Moore, Vanessa stituents. Individual and organized efforts to inform Ochs, Kerry Olitzky, Riv-Ellen Prell, Harold Schulweis, Elan Steinberg, Elie Wiesel, Arnold Jacob Wolf, David Wolpe, Michael our representatives of our views on these issues, es- Wyschogrod. pecially when linked to a specific bill, helps leverage For information about the Sh’ma Fellows, a program for important shifts in the government’s resource allo- graduate students in Boston, contact [email protected]. cations and policy direction. Sh’ma welcomes articles from diverse points of view. Hence, the opinions expressed do not necessarily reflect those of the edi- , youth groups, schools, and campus tors. Donations to Sh’ma are tax deductible. Sh’ma is available in Hillel groups can include global hunger as a compo- microfilm from University Microfilms International, Ann Arbor, nent of their service initiatives. Possible activities in- MI, and in audio format from the Jewish Braille Institute, New clude organizing campaigns to focus public attention York, NY. Address all editorial correspondence to: Sh’ma, 90 Oak Street, on the issue, developing linkages with implementing P.O. Box 9129, Newton, MA 02464. Fax: (617) 965-7772. Email: institutions or other groups working in the field, and [email protected]. Address all subscription queries to: Sh’ma, mobilizing resources to support anti-hunger efforts. P.O. Box 267, New London, NH 03257. Telephone: (800) 237-0968. Ninety-five percent of the world’s malnourished Sh’ma (ISSN 0049-0385) is published by Jewish Family & Life! monthly except July and August. Application to mail at periodical- people live in developing countries. As economic class postage rates pending at Newton, MA 02459. POSTMASTER: and communication systems globalize, the reach of Send address changes to Sh’ma, P.O. Box 267, New London, NH our compassion and our social justice efforts must 03257. Subscriptions: $36 for two years in U.S.; $21 for one year; $24 also broaden to embrace human beings suffering for one year overseas; $44 for two years overseas; bulk subscrip- tions of 10 or more to one address, $12 per subscription; students, from hunger across the globe. the retired, or those of restricted means may subscribe for one year at $9; institutional subscriptions and libraries, $36. Please notify the Tony Castleman works with the Food and Nutrition subscription office in writing if you prefer that your name not be Technical Assistance Project at the Academy for Educa- given out on rented lists. Visit our Web site at www.shma.com and participate in our tional Development in Washington, D.C., providing tech- interactive discussion groups. Sh’ma is a member of Jewz.com me- nical assistance to USAID and NGOs on nutrition and dia network. food security programming. From 1994 to 2000 he served Copyright © 2003 by Jewish Family & Life! as Director of a nonprofit organization in India that imple- ISSN: 0049-0385 May 2003 ments health, education, and poverty alleviation projects.

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Hunger Is a Challenge Not a Problem — Solutions Abound Mark E. Talisman

n the issue of hunger, there is a knowledge Jewish communities had community pantries for the and compassion gap among Jews in the hungry to go and shop. The Dallas Federation was, at O United States. After having spent nearly 40 that time, the only federation that had a kosher pan- years working on problems of endemic hunger (and try available for the Jewish and general community to homelessness, too), I cannot understand why that spe- use, and use they did. What we say on Shabbat and cial social-justice nerve Jews have deeply embedded the holy days of our lives is meant to apply on this inside them is absent regarding this issue of hunger. earth as we reach out to ensure no person ever goes to Within the Jewish community, synagogues, youth bed without food or decent shelter. We must acknowl- groups, day schools, and other gatherings of Jews col- edge and address the fact that malnutrition has a deep lect canned goods from their own cupboards and put connection to learning and productivity in school. them in large bags for deliv- We waste so much food in the ery to hungry people; some- process of production. And we times we substitute for non- lack knowledge about our food Jews at soup kitchens and What we all need is a call production systems — from the shelters on Christmas or Eas- to action after digesting the field to the conveyor belt — to cre- ter. But we only touch the very atively reduce waste. Years ago, outer limits of hunger in facts and facing the human a contractor for McDonald’s dis- America — a problem that faces of poverty — covered that when the vast fields also afflicts our own elderly, of iceberg lettuce were machine shut-ins, dysfunctional fami- a monster with solutions cut for American supermarkets, lies, suddenly unemployed there were perfectly good leaves families, and singles. In times within our grasp. of lettuce left on the remaining like this, Jews living below the stems. A machine was invented, poverty level hovers at 20 per- with the help of McDonald’s, to cent or more! Miami, with so pick the remaining lettuce leaves, many elderly, may be a higher figure. The irony is that which are then washed and shredded into the very most Jewish federations don’t know how many Jews in format needed for Big Macs! Second Harvest, a food their own geographical areas fall below the poverty recovery group, now follows that McDonald’s har- level, making it difficult to provide targeted assistance. vester and recovers the third layer of last lettuce leaves, Yes, we have meals on wheels for the lucky who live in leaving nothing wasted at all. the right places. But many of our own folks and others What is to be done with the remains of fertile fields aren’t even close to such luxuries. in America after the main crops are picked? How can No matter how innovative we are, when it comes we maximize redistribution — especially in urban to hunger and creative solutions to an issue that grows America? We might start by creatively redistributing larger by the day in abundant America, we fail on all untouched remains from our family simchas. I re- counts. solved long ago that dented cans of food from my pan- I’ve had the privilege to serve for many years on try were insulting as a donation. So I bake bread — a the National Emergency Food and Shelter Program. I nutritional nearly one-stop way to feed the hungry. also helped create, several years ago at the Council of What else can we do? Jewish Federation’s Washington Action Office, a Why not challenge synagogues, Hillel campus “Memorandum of Understanding” between Israel’s memberships, Jewish schools, and our youth organi- Ministry of Labor and Social Affairs and the U.S. Health zations to strategize about long-term manageable ways and Human Services Department. While I found that to provide streams of nutritional foods on a sustained local nonprofits, churches, and groups of people in basis? How about organizing trips for the younger, able neighborhoods creatively found ways to fill the huge bodied to assist with food production — picking dur- and ever widening gap among those with and those ing harvesting foods that can then be collectively without basic nutritional food, unfortunately, very few canned and preserved, frozen and otherwise con-

15 Sh’ma • www.shma.com To subscribe: (800) 237-0968 May 2003 • Iyar 5763 served? Why not constitute a new So what are we waiting for? went to sleep without milk. By this agricultural/urban tithing, where a If anyone doubts this evil can- simple test, how do we judge our- very small portion of crops are vol- not be conquered, then they have selves and our community? And our unteer harvested and donated to the not breathed deeply of the huge country, how does it measure against hungry across the United States? energy that exists among our this simple standard? What about pairing inter-genera- young, of the determination of our tional members of the Jewish commu- elderly who have witnessed similar Mark E. Talisman was the founder nity, younger high school and college crises before and successfully con- of the Council of Jewish Federation’s students with the elderly who are in quered them, and of the concerned Washington Action Office and served as need — not only to provide a steady bystanders in between. What we all its director for 18 years. Among many source of food but companionship need is a call to action after digest- issues, he focused upon hunger issues and perhaps occasional employ- ing the facts and facing the human during that time. In 1979, he created the ment as well? We might just provide faces of poverty — a monster with National Emergency Food and Shelter an opportunity to explore and ap- solutions within our grasp. Program that was legislated into law preciate the food chain and both A decade ago, speaking before under the sponsorship of the late Speaker sides of the hunger issue. Group his Parliament, the Japanese prime of the House Tip O’Neill. It still exists strategizing, community by com- minister commented that the true in FEMA and has delivered over a bil- munity, should provide innovative, measurement of any so-called pow- lion and a half federal dollars through community-based ideas to provide erful nation was if any of its citi- its national board, of which Talisman food, drink, and comfort while we zens went to bed at night without was a member for 14 years, to thousands look for longer-term policy solutions. food or shelter or any of its babies of local boards across the country.

Sari Revkin continued from page 11 education or tools to improve their tzadakah and mishpat in the Israel of that an eye for an eye will leave all of own situations. And sometimes 2003. us blind. I know that the road from problems stem from inequality or Ever since a few tzadikim pro- this dream to reality is long. injustice at the legal and policy lev- vided funds to prevent 10 families els. For example, in Israel it is ille- from losing their homes when the Sari Revkin, originally from New gal for anyone who has ever been a banks issued foreclosure notices, I York, received her MSW from the Uni- homeowner to receive public hous- continue to ask myself how to best versity of Maryland School of Social ing assistance. This is based on the use my limited resources. While I Work. She made aliyah in 1983 and sub- assumption that, if a person were continue to strive for an Israel where sequently founded SHATIL, an institu- once economically self-sufficient, it those who have can care and give to tion assisting the development of hun- would be inconceivable that he or those who don’t, working case-by- dreds of social change organizations. In she would need substantive eco- case is too arduous a path. In addi- 1997 she established Yedid: The Asso- nomic assistance in the future. tion, we must now struggle to reverse ciation for Community Empowerment Given the present challenging eco- decisions made earlier that essen- to assist families on the geographic and nomic times, many middle-class in- tially destroyed the social safety net cultural periphery of Israeli society, fos- dividuals and families are strug- that once existed. I dream of Israel as ter relationships between members of dif- gling as a result of this law to pro- a light unto the nations — that we ferent sectors of the population, and vide the most basic amenities. We not only feed the poor but also help bring disenfranchised communities must work to change these types of them out of poverty; that we care for closer to the principles and practice of

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