16 June 27 • 2019
jn

jews d
in 
the

O

n a trip to Detroit, Poland’
s 
Chief Rabbi Michael 
Schudrich visited Berkley’
s 
Yad Ezra, which serves about 3,000 
people each year. After seeing the 
change Yad Ezra has made in the com-
munity, Schudrich was inspired to start 
a kosher food pantry in Warsaw. 
The Polish pantry now is fully oper-
ational, thanks in major part to assis-
tance from Yad Ezra staff.
When Yad Ezra decided to take on 
the project of helping Schudrich start a 
kosher food pantry, it set a goal of rais-
ing $100,000 to send to Poland. So far, 
it has raised $63,000; none has come 
from Yad Ezra’
s own budget. 
Jeff Supowit, former Yad Ezra pres-
ident, says much of the money has 
come from loyal contributors who have 
stepped up and donated even more to 
help the organization reach its goal to 
help Poland. Many board members also 
have contributed to the effort.
The kosher food pantry comes to 
Poland at a time of a re-emergence of 
the nation’
s Jewish communities.
“Poland was the epicenter of Judaism 
in Europe prior to World War II,
” said 
Lea Luger, Yad Ezra’
s executive director. 
“But there are whole generations miss-
ing and people every day are finding 
out they are Jewish.
”
Supowit feels the pantry can help in 
the re-establishment of a Jewish com-
munity in Poland in two ways.
“The impact of the pantry is not just 
on the people receiving the food, but it 
is also reigniting the sense of tzedakah 
in the community, which is such an 
important part of Judaism,
” he said.

Schudrich said in an email: “The 
impact has been great and has impacted 
a few groups specifically: the Righteous 
Gentiles, who see that they are remem-
bered and cherished; the Jewish needy; 
project volunteers, who can perform a 
mitzvah and develop a deeper connec-
tion to Jewish values and community; 
and anyone else who sees the project 
and feels inspired by it.
” 
Recently, Luger, Supowit and his wife, 
Debra, and a few other Yad Ezra staff 
members traveled to Poland to see the 
Warsaw pantry.
“We got to meet with leadership 
of the Jewish Community Centers in 
Krakow and Warsaw,
” Luger said. “One 
thing I noticed was that the leadership 
at the JCCs are mostly non-Jews who 
truly appreciate contributions Jewish 
people made to Polish history and want 
to make sure they are not forgotten or 
ignored 
.
”
The group also met with American 
Embassy staff in Poland as well as two 
Righteous Gentile women who helped 
save Jewish families as children. 
“It’
s important to help the Righteous 
Gentiles because they are often unrec-
ognized and don’
t get government assis-
tance,
” Supowit said.
Currently, the pantry does distribu-
tions for major Jewish holidays. It was 
able to distribute food for Passover, 
Purim and, more recently, Shavuot. 
Schudrich is very happy with the 
outcome of the kosher food pantry and 
is looking to add pantries in other cities 
in Poland. ■

The group from Yad Ezra delivered food to two Righteous Gentiles in Warsaw 

who told them about saving Jews from the death camps during the Shoah.

Extending 
Aid

Yad Ezra lends 
expertise to Polish
kosher food pantry.

JESSIE COHEN JN INTERN

Chief Rabbi of 

Poland Michael 
Schudrich and Lea 
Luger of Yad Ezra at 
the pantry

COURTESY OF YAD EZRA

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Southfield, MI 48034
1-248-945-1111

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