As we approach the end of our third year of the Giving Circle, we would like to celebrate our victories and spread the word about the Giving Circle so that we can do even more next year.

Since the Giving Circle’s inception 3 years ago, we have significantly increased the amount of help we have been able to give our 3 partner food shelves, PRISM, ICA and STEP, as well as our partner organizations Our Saviour’s Shelter and Loaves & Fishes. Just this past year, our Giving Circle members donated enough funds to provide generous checks to all 3 food shelves in March, for MN Food Share month, and we will be able to do that again in November. We also provided funding for Loaves & Fishes and, with the help of the congregation, monthly dinners to Our Saviour’s Shelter. Our congregants have donated 160 bags of clothing and household items to PRISM’s Shop for Change. So many people have benefited from your help.

D'var Torah by Rabbi Harold J. Kravitz
Rosh Hashanah, Day 1—September 10, 2018

The last year and a half has been an emotional roller coaster for our family.

I lost my mom Mildred last year and was saying Kaddish until May. In late June Cindy’s dad Irv died, so this year she is saying Kaddish. It is a lot to lose two parents in a short time. As we reflect on these losses, we are both deeply grateful for the support we received from our community, both the community here at Adath and the community we have with friends and colleagues that extends far beyond MN. We are so thankful for the many contributions, the notes of support, the meals, all kinds of people who checked in on us.

Life can get busy around our house with four kids between the ages of 6-13. In addition to school, our afternoons and weekends consist of my husband and I playing the role of Uber drivers for our kids’ sports, religious schools, play-dates and extra curricular activities. We LOVE the chaos and the busy life that comes with having four children. That said, there are times when I wish we could slow down just a bit, take a step back and a deep breath to appreciate it all, and do more to understand how other people outside our little bubble live.

Many of us just experienced MAZON, A Jewish Response to Hunger's traveling exhibit. The This is Hunger truck, an interactive experience on wheels was parked in the Adath parking lot at the end of June. Stepping inside was an illuminating and gut-wrenching experience. The exhibit shed light on the profound prevalence of hunger in America. Did you know 1 in 8 Americans struggle with hunger? Nearly 6 million of our seniors are food insecure. Over 13 million children live with hunger every day.

​The High Holy Days is a time to renew our commitment and raise our voices on behalf of the 42.2 million Americans who struggle with hunger every day.