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Honoring...
Merrick and Joel Jacob visit the Wal-Mart Return Center in Macon, Ga.
gregants at daily services during the
Hebrew month of Elul and on the High
Holidays. He also blows shofar at area
nursing homes and for others unable
to attend services. At Hillel, where
three of his children are students,
Jacob and daughter Autumn blow sho-
far together for each grade.
Landmark Donation
Jacob turned a request for diapers and
toiletries into an $8.7 million dona-
tion to America's hungry. When Luger
asked if he could use his business con-
nections to appeal to Wal-Mart Stores
for the items, they donated more than
Yad Ezra could distribute. So she con-
nected Jacob with Gleaners' President
Augie Fernandes, who could.
Truckloads of returned, but still
usable, items from Wal-Mart's non-
perishable food reclamation center —
valued at $1 million — were brought
to Gleaners over a year. Items were dis-
tributed first to Yad Ezra and the other
350 Michigan-based agencies Gleaners
serves and eventually expanded into a
national program, with ongoing ship-
ments — now exceeding $30 million
— throughout the country.
Escalating the relationship formed
with Wal-Mart, Jacob said he and
Barbara Levin "came up with an idea
that would change the course of hun-
ger history."
The monthlong "Be A Part of the
Solution to End Hunger" campaign
was promoted in all 3,800 Wal-Mart
and Sam's Club stores nationwide.
Wal-Mart added $5 million to the $3.7
million in customer donations and
gave it to America's Second Harvest:
The Nation's Food Bank Network and
other hunger relief programs.
Next Up
Among the goals Jacob hopes to
accomplish from all his endeavors is
to motivate others to realize the great
value of community involvement.
"So many great leaders have
inspired me and guided me, includ-
ing Henry Dorfman, David Hermelin,
Bill Berman, Joel Tauber, Judge Avern
Cohn and Max Fisher," he said. "But
when it comes to realizing the pos-
sibility of ending hunger, Leonard
Simons and Bill Davidson have made
the most impact.
"Bill Davidson brought the plight
of the hungry children in Israel to
me, with 35.2 percent of them living
in households below the poverty line.
He has done a lot to sponsor after-
school feeding programs there and
is inspiring me to work to help end
hunger in Israel."
Jacob has scheduled an early
December trip to Israel "to see how
the war is impacting the hunger situa-
tion and how Mazon can help," he said.
On behalf of Mazon, Jacob is work-
ing with Israeli Education Minister
Yuli Tamir to plan a national school
lunch program.
And now that a study partially
funded by local philanthropist and
community activist Mandell "Bill"
Berman has determined the need
for a national food bank system in
Israel — to be modeled after Gleaners
— fundraising efforts are under way.
Also on the front burner for Jacob
are projects to bring more corpora-
tions on board to fund activity pro-
grams for American kids, which will
include government-funded meals,
and another to make sure all who
qualify for federal food assistance are
signed up for it.
"To use a favorite line of Bill
Davidson, I say,'"It's a good begin-
ning," Jacob said.
Almost casually, knowingly he
added, "We will end hunger. We will
be a model for other countries.
"It's not a matter of cif' but
`when.'" ❑
Ellen and Jim Labes
Wednesday, October 4, 2006
Congregation Shaarey Zedek
Strolling Supper 6:00 pm
Program to follow - Couvert $180.00 per adult
Marilyn and Darryl Goldberg
Arrangements Co-Chairpersons
Joyce and George Blum
Fundraising Co-Chairpersons
Ken Bernard and Allan Sefton
Program Book Chairmen
Paul G. Finkel
President
Michigan allows an income tax credit for individuals equal to 50% of the amount of the cash contribution (subject to certain limitations)
to organizations such as Yad Ezra that provide food or shelter to the indigent. The fair market value of the dinner for tax purposes is $50.00 per person.
Avami,,,,tmounam
For information or reservations. call (248) 548-3663
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