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
24725 West 12 Mile – Ste. 110
Southfield, MI 48034
1-248-945-1111
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