The Central Synagogue Caring Committee derives its sense of purpose from a passage in Nehemiah 2:18 that reads: “Let us rise up and rebuild lives.” As part of that mission, they’ve been serving hot, nutritious breakfasts and a take-out bag lunches on Thursday and Friday mornings for the past 27 years. To make the most of their limited resources, they rely largely on volunteers such as Ira Riklis to help prepare and serve the meals and to clean up afterwards.
The Caring Committee first opened their doors in 1983 after the mayor made an urgent appeal to nonprofits to help the city’s hungry and homeless. They served 6,800 meals that year, but the need has grown dramatically over time, and they’ve been working hard trying to keep pace and they now serve some 16,000 meals each year. In the twelve years he’s been volunteering on most Friday mornings, Ira Riklis has seen the difference the program can make in helping people make it through difficult times as they try to rebuild their lives.