Meals + Miscellaneous for Migrants (M+M4M)

By Melissa Hacker  

CARROT AND CABBAGE SLAW, rice, and potato beet and egg salad prepared and packaged in the kitchen of PS 11. Photo by Rachel Glube.

Village Temple Social Action Committee (VT SAC) members have been spending afternoons volunteering in the kitchen at PS 11. On our first visit, on a drenching rainy spring day, we assisted lead chef Jenny, and Margarita and Karina as they prepared Venezuelan chicken stew, potato beet and egg salad, rice, and a carrot and cabbage slaw. Jenny, from Venezuela, who came up with the recipes, and  Margarita, from Colombia, are chefs, and watching them cook was a treat. Many in PS 11’s new immigrant community do not have regular access to cooking facilities, so this is a meaningful, enjoyable and delicious activity.

This partnership between the Village Temple and PS 11 Programs, a 501(c)(3) that runs after school and camp programming at PS 11, was developed by SAC Chairperson Rachel Glube, and Debbie Osborne, Director of PS 11 Programs. The Village Temple and PS 11 have many community members in common, and M+M4M was built from this foundation. During COVID, Rachel started donating toys, kids’ books and warm clothing. The opportunity to do more arose when UJA-New York developed a program offering grants to local synagogues and Jewish organizations in the New York metro area who were already engaged in the work of supporting families who had crossed the US/Mexico border. As Rachel started writing the grant proposal, she counted the number of congregants who have PS11 graduates in their families, and the number of PS 11 parents who are currently members of the VT board of directors. 33% of current VT board members were PS 11 parents at one point in time.  

The UJA wants to get more congregants involved in welcoming migrants and asylum seekers in our communities, and Rachel developed a program to build upon shared experiences of congregants, deepen the relationship and experiment with the idea to work together in the future. Village Temple was awarded a grant, which is funding a social worker, after school care for the children of mothers in the program, and food for the sessions. The “goal is to create an environment where each participant is treated with respect and dignity. The hope is that this program will yield deeper understanding among all participants and continued partnership between these two organizations in the future.” 

Melissa Hacker is a Social Action Committee member and VT congregant.