Shaare Torah Students Help the SBH Food Pantry

Students from Shaare Torah proudly joined the SBH Food Pantry project in a community-wide effort to feed the less fortunate. The students participated by collecting various foods that will go straight onto the pantry shelves and into the homes of those in need.

According to Director Charles Antebi, the pantry feeds approximately 300 families a month at which point it needs to be restocked. It is run in the most private and inconspicuous fashion to insure the clients confidentiality.

Shaare Torah has always been interested in programs that can further implement the highest levels of derech eretz and midot tovot (acting with consideration and kindness and good character traits). Spearheaded by Louise Maslaton and Cynthia Esses, this wonderful project will enable students to learn to be kind, compassionate, charitable, as well as appreciative of what they have. Instilling these qualities at a young age is essential to becoming fine young men and women with love and enthusiasm for mitzvot, respect for others and generally helps build good character traits. Studies prove that children are mainly influenced by what they experience—and what an experience the pantry is.

Thanks to the help of Jacqueline Dweck, Sari Sasson and of course the students, the project is proving to be a huge success. The collections take place once a month in the preschool, boys and girls elementary schools, and boys high school (overseen by 12th grader Maurice Sasson).

The classes then take turns visiting the pantry and packing the shelves with the cartons of food that they’ve collected. This trip has enabled them to see how the pantry is run while giving them a sense of pride in the mitzvah that they’ve done. The children’s enthusiasm is palpable. They are eager to contribute their food and are proud to be part of such a wonderful project. They have truly exhibited ivdu et Hashem bisimha (serving Hashem happily) and kol Yisrael arevim ze lazeh (we are all responsible for one another). Keep up the good work.