Evie blogs on our third meeting

At Sunday’s meeting, we had a simulation of the grant process. We split up into six groups, and three were organizations that were requesting funds, and three were foundations who were deciding where to give their money. We had to present our organizations in the best possible ways and make hard decisions about where to give our money.

Next we were split into different groups and we were each given a different assignment. One group had to make a skit about major ideas of Tzedakah. Another group had to find a text about Tzedakah that had to do with the game Jenga. A third group found a modern song that related to our texts, and the last group had to find ideas about Tzedakah in a fashion magazine. Though difficult, it showed us how the main ideas of Tzedakah can be applied in many different situations.

November meeting ideas

At our recent meeting we had the opportunity to understand a bit better how the grant process works. Everyone had some type of role in the process and the teens made it interesting and fun.

After an exercise in Jewish texts it was time to hand out our new t-shirts!

Evie has the scoop... take a look at her blog!

More on hunger in America

A new report was released today by the Agriculture Department. You can see the information here: http://www.nytimes.com/2009/11/17/us/17hunger.html?hp.

How does this report (or reality) impact you?

Blake blogs on the Poverty Simulation

I went to the poverty simulation at Beth Torah last Sunday (November 8th). At the simulation we were assigned a role, I was a 9 year old boy with learning disabilities, and you were put into a family. I had a dad who worked full time, a sister who went to school, had a job, and had a baby, she was 19, and my niece who was one year old. To help my family survive I had two jobs and i went to school. I learned that in times of desperation people will do whatever they have to to live. There were families in the simulation who had to steal. There were also teenagers who dropped out of school. I enjoyed the simulation mainly because I got to feel only a small small part of what some people go through every day and it made me more aware.

Food for Thought

When you hear the phrase 'food stamps' what do you think? What is your estimate of how many children in the U.S. rely on food stamps?

10%?

15%?

Take a look at this report relased early this month on food stamps and children in the U.S.:
http://www.upi.com/Health_News/2009/11/02/Many-US-children-to-be-on-food-stamps/UPI-95961257220576/

Now what do you think when you hear 'food stamps?'