ESSENtials Kosher Food Purchase Program: A Partnership in Action
By Chana Laila
Office Manager and Development Assistant
At Rachel’s Table, we know that addressing hunger is a complex issue that requires thoughtful, community-driven solutions. One of the ways we’ve worked to meet the unique needs of our community is through our ESSENtials Kosher Food Purchase Program—an initiative that began in 2010 that helps ensure that families in need have access to nutritious, kosher, and culturally appropriate food in conjunction with the celebration of holidays throughout the year. This program has been made possible thanks to our collaboration with Jewish Family Service (JFS) and a generous grant from the Jewish Endowment Foundation (JEF).
A Collaborative Effort to Address Food Insecurity
Food insecurity is not one-size-fits-all, and we understand that for many Jewish families in Western Massachusetts, access to kosher food is essential to both dietary and religious practices and is especially important at holiday times. Through the ESSENtials program, Rachel’s Table provides access to kosher food that directly meets the needs of these families, with distributions that take place in conjunction with the holidays of Tu B’Shvat, Passover, Shavuot, Rosh Hashanah, Thanksgiving, and Chanukah. Our partnership with Jewish Family Service has been critical to the success of this program. JFS has long been dedicated to supporting individuals and families from diverse cultural backgrounds in our region, and their deep knowledge of the community’s needs has allowed us to align our efforts. Together, we’re able to reach families who might not otherwise have access to the food they need.
Thanks to the Generosity of the Jewish Endowment Foundation
We are also immensely grateful to the Jewish Endowment Foundation for their generous grant in support of the ESSENtials program in 2024, which has made the continuation and expansion of our ESSENtials Kosher Food Purchase Program possible. With the rapidly rising costs of food, there are an increasing number of kosher-observant families in our community struggling with food insecurity, and this much-needed funding from JEF has allowed Rachel’s Table to increase the number of families receiving kosher food on each holiday distribution, as well as to increase the quantity of food being distributed. In addition, we were also able to add a 6th distribution of kosher food (up from 5 distributions in 2023), with our first Chanukah distribution in 2024.
Volunteers are ESSENtial
None of this would have been possible without the dedication and hard work of our incredible volunteers. From assisting with food pickup and packaging food to helping with distribution, our volunteers are instrumental in ensuring the success of the ESSENtials program. We are especially grateful to our Teen Board for their help and to every volunteer who has played a vital role in this program in 2024.
A Vital Resource in the Community
Through our combined efforts, the ESSENtials program has already made a significant impact, providing culturally relevant kosher food packages to Jewish families throughout Western Massachusetts in a time of growing uncertainty. This program also reflects the strength of the broader Jewish community in Western Massachusetts, where organizations, foundations, and individuals are coming together to support their neighbors in need. Our partnership with Jewish Family Service and the support from the Jewish Endowment Foundation lay a strong foundation for future success in combating food insecurity in the Jewish community, and we are ready to continue this important work, together. Thank you to everyone who has made this program possible and to all our supporters, volunteers, and community partners. Together, we are creating a more inclusive, supportive, and hunger-free Western Massachusetts.