“When Messiah will come, there will be no more hunger. Until then, we are here to work”

“Just a week before 9/11 I came to Israel as a student. After a few years in Safed I ended up in Jerusalem – and for the past two and a half years I have been part of Pantry Packers. When I joined the organization there was nothing in this warehouse. Today, after only two years, more than 11,500 people have came through our door and helped us to help others.

“It is really exciting to see people celebrating bar mitzvahs and other special life events by packing food for the poor. Kids, parents, grandparents – they all come here together and volunteer. I suppose that what makes them choose this specific place is the feeling of being part of a genuine volunteering activity. It is so different to have a hands on project instead of just writing out a check.

“People ask me occasionally ‘why a fish and not a fishing rod?’. Well, I say, why not both? We have to understand that in order to hold that rod, one cannot be hungry. We are just a part of the process that helps people get out of poverty and I am proud and happy that we are able to do that. We literally pack Tikun Olam into tourism.

 

Rabbi Traxler 2