Last week, I had an extraordinary Sunday that began with a prayer led by Rabbi Jodie. We had approximately 40 congregants who gathered in our building to make sandwiches for three different food pantries that operate in our Manhasset and Port Washington neighborhoods. With Rabbi Jodie, Cantor Eric, and our Executive Director, Liza, leading us through the sandwich-making process, we made over 100 sandwiches, each packed with an apple, a cookie, and a juice drink. The sandwich bags were decorated with drawings and encouraging words, mostly by our children. The food was donated by Danielle & Michael Dayan in loving memory of Michael Dayan’s parents, Sara & Edward Dayan. Our sandwich-making was also subsidized by a micro grant from the United Jewish Appeal (UJA).
Words will not do justice to the joy in our community effort to help provide food to those who have to face the realities of food insecurity that exists in our neighborhoods. It was wonderful to spend a morning with multiple generations of RSNS members, all with a common goal, all hoping to help reduce the anxiety from food insecurity.
Later that day, I attended an interfaith Thanksgiving service sponsored by the local Manhasset – Port Washington Clergy Association. This year, the service took place at the Archangel Michael Greek Orthodox Church in Port Washington. The service in this magnificent church was moving. Rabbi Jodie and Cantor Eric contributed inspirational words and songs along with the many wonderful Ministers, Rabbis, and Cantors in our neighborhood. But I want to mention the words read by Reverend Sister Kathy Somerville of Our Lady Fatima, the Roman Catholic Church in Manorhaven. Sister Kathy read a parable about Rabbi Israel Salanter, a Lithuanian 19th century rabbinic scholar. In this parable read by Sister Kathy, Rabbi Israel, who was attending to a sick child, answered a question about why he was not in shul davening. He explained, “I am praying. Every act of kindness is a prayer – a prayer that walks, moves, breathes, and lives”.
So, on this Giving Tuesday, consider an act of kindness, a prayer that breathes and lives. In addition to your favorite charities, I will, of course, suggest an end-of-year donation to RSNS so that we can continue to support our congregants, continue to support our greater community, continue to maintain our Jewish values, and continue to maintain our traditions as we strive to enjoy meaningful lives in good times and difficult times.
To donate to RSNS, you can click here https://www.rsns.org/give/ or contact Liza in our office (516-627-6274).
With Gratitude,
Bob Schwartz
RSNS President
