Meaningful Mitzvot – Day 15

15 Elul 5773
By Monica Engel

The sounds of laughter and chatter.  The words of praise and gratitude.  The awe and intimidation of what began as a seedling and developed into a bouquet.  These are the echoes of Mitzvah Meals and what it means for those on both sides of the table:

The bounty we receive from Trader Joe’s in the morning  prompts discussion and ignites the creativity of our cooks who decide what’s on the menu today and results in nourishing the needy we serve lunch and dinner.

The father who couldn’t think of a better way to spend Father’s Day than to cook with his children for Mitzvah Meals and the folks who praised the gourmet meal they cooked.

A mother and daughter who continued to volunteer to cook after completing her Bat Mitzvah community service obligation because they had so much fun together and the mother who lives in a shelter and expressed surprise when she heard Mitzvah Meals was a Jewish program.  She thought only Christians volunteered.

A senior congregant who derives joy from seeing the contentment in the faces of those she has served dinner and a young Religious School student who is excited with the results of a fruit salad he made.

And then there are the aroma echoes – the fresh baked cookies and brownies often delivered warm from the oven and the earthy and sweet aroma of fresh lettuce and cucumbers or oranges and apples grown and delivered by our very own gardeners.The mixture of onions, garlic and veggies being stir fried and chicken roasting in the oven.The words, “Thank you, this is delicious, what a great meal. God bless you” are the best echoes.”Teamwork helps ordinary people do extraordinary things”.  The tiny seed that fed about 50 people has now fed thousands and keeps growing.  Awesome and intimidating.

One Response to Meaningful Mitzvot – Day 15

  1. Jeff Merkow August 21, 2013 at 10:16 am #

    Thank you for your vision and your heart. Jeff and Karen