Becky Eisen is the Poverty Campaign Coordinator for the Jewish Council for Public Affairs (JCPA).
Using one of the most evocative lines from the traditional
Passover Seder – “Let all who are hungry come and eat” – the Jewish Council for Public Affairs
and MAZON:
A Jewish Response to Hunger have re-contextualized the historical message
of redemption from slavery with the modern struggle faced by hungry children
across our country by creating the Child Nutrition Seder
mobilization. We will have a National Child Nutrition Seder in the Capital on
Thursday, March 18th to highlight our national efforts.
Last week, David wrote about the growing numbers of children
in America who experience hunger, and the Federal Child Nutrition Programs that
were created to “safeguard the health and well-being of the Nation’s children.”
Providing food for hungry children seems to be a no-brainer, yet our elected
officials consistently underfund crucial food programs and millions of children
across the United States go hungry. The reason is not because we don’t have
enough food or because we don’t have enough money, it is because we have not
created a loud enough voice to push elected officials to fund these programs. We
need to let our representatives hear our righteous indignation: “How could you
possibly allow children to go hungry in this nation of plenty?!”
The Child Nutrition Seder mobilization was created to make
this question heard loud and clear. It was also created to be used as an
organizing tool. As Jews, we are aware of our obligation to help those who are
less fortunate, and we have a strong tradition of setting up service
organizations, giving tzedakah, volunteering at local nonprofit organizations,
etc. We have also historically been great advocates, pressing for civil
liberties, protection of minorities, and recognition of and security for the
state of Israel. But for some reason we seem to silo our anti-hunger work and
our advocacy work. We volunteer in a soup kitchen, but don’t think to write a
letter to congress about the conditions that cause individuals to need a soup
kitchen in the first place. The Child Nutrition Seder is a way to blend
effective advocacy with education and service. The Hagaddah
for these mock Seders uses the traditional pieces of the Seder to help
participants learn about the causes and solutions of child hunger in America,
and then walks them through the steps of effective activism needed to eradicate
hunger. This year, we focus on the reauthorization of the Child Nutrition Act,
a bill that funds the School Lunch and Breakfast Programs, Summer Feeding
program and a myriad of other programs that form a safety net for hungry
children in America.
For instance, we use the karpos, the green vegetable, as a symbol of the grocery gap
(disparity to access in healthy foods) in America. Instead of the wise child,
wicked child, simple child and the one who does not know how to ask, our four
children represent four faces of childhood hunger, each of whom has had a different experience with hunger and with
a government nutrition program. Towards the end of the Seder, we ask
participants to write a letter to their Representative, requesting that he/she
allocate at least $1 billion in new funding each year for the next five years
to the reauthorization of the Child Nutrition Act.
Because
these Seders don’t have to happen during Passover, there is still time to
organize a Child Nutrition Seder in your community. They can happen anytime in
the month of March or April and can still have a strong impact on your
legislator. If you have any questions, or if you are planning on holding a
Child Nutrition Seder in your community, please reach out to me at [email protected]