Rabbi Shulman’s Rosh Hashanah sermon got me thinking a lot about chesed (loving-kindness). My earliest, most memorable experience with chesed occurred when I was eight years old, on a family trip to the Chicago Zoo with my five siblings. We encountered a distinguished-looking elderly gentleman in a soiled three-piece suit and bow tie resting on a park bench. His hair was quite disheveled, but with his tattered briefcase on the ground beside him, it was obvious he cared about keeping up appearances.
To preserve his dignity and avoid potentially embarrassing him, my mom gave my sister and me a $10 bill and instructed us to wait near the bench for a bit. We were told once he got up to walk away, we were to approach him, show the money we found under the bench and say it obviously must have fallen from his pocket. My mother’s generosity and compassion were overshadowed only by her sensitivity to protecting his dignity. Chesed is the intersection where empathy and action meet.
Fast-forward fifty years, I find myself working in the chesed business for one of Colorado’s most well-respected human services agencies, Jewish Family Service (JFS). Before joining JFS a year ago, I, like many others, had no idea about the economic vulnerability of Jews in our own community.
Yet the 2018-19 Greater Denver Jewish Community Study commissioned by the Rose Community Foundation revealed that 18% of the approximately 91,000 Jews living in the Denver Metro area reported having difficulty making ends meet or were unable to do so. 13% skipped rent, mortgage, or utility payments, and nearly 80% reported experiencing mental health issues (anxiety, stress, depression, or other serious mental health issues). Given the study was conducted before the pandemic, it’s safe to assume these statistics underestimate the magnitude of the problem. What’s even more troubling, only 6% of these people described as economically vulnerable sought help from a Jewish agency or synagogue. Part of my job is to disseminate the key takeaways of the Study to the Jewish community in hopes of shedding more light on this growing issue, and the stigma Jews feel about asking for help while also spreading the word about the 30+ programs and services JFS offers to tackle some of the issues. In short, JFS is here to serve the entire community, including its Jews.
As we celebrate Sukkot this week by spending time outdoors in our sukkahs, vulnerable to the elements, we’re reminded of the risk and uncertainty our ancestors faced. For many Jews, this vulnerability and uncertainty remain a very real threat millennia later. Housing insecurity, inadequate access to food, and mental health issues are among the many modern-day challenges people face.
If Rabbi Shulman has you thinking too about chesed, there are lots of opportunities via JFS. Assisting with our mobile food pantry, leading Shabbat services at assisted living facilities, and becoming a Best Buddy to an adult with intellectual or developmental disabilities, among them. Check out the full list here. You can contribute in other ways by:
Bringing items from this list High Holiday Donation List flyer.pdf to the JFS High Holiday Food and Hygiene Drive barrels located in HEA’s lobby
Helping JFS raise the matching funds needed for the Claims Conference on Material Claims Against Germany, demonstrating our community is invested in the welfare and wellbeing of our survivors.
Participating in the Adopt a Family Bright Holidays gift program by providing families in need with holiday gifts. Details available soon.
I’m happy to answer questions about JFS, the Community Study and how you can get involved. Contact me at lsoicher@jewishfamilyservice.org!
