Supporting our Neighbors through the SNAP Shutdown

This week, I was filled with gratitude for our community. As the government shutdown continued, many of you shared concerns about how our school might support those around us – in our own midst, in our neighborhood and beyond it – whose SNAP benefits are expected to run out.

The Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) is a federal program that provides monthly benefits to low-income households to help them buy food. If the shutdown continues, SNAP benefits for November (which would normally be provided on the 1st of the month) are likely to be delayed. Almost 1.8 million New Yorkers rely on SNAP benefits, and they’ll dry up this weekend.

We ourselves are a diverse community of families who come from a legacy compelling an understanding that each of us needs government assistance. Many of us are just a generation or two removed from relatives who came to this country as refugees seeking safety and in need of support. This week’s parasha (Torah portion) is Lekh-Lekha, the story of God’s call to Avraham to “go forth” and become a stranger. (Just a few hours ago, our Kindergarten class traipsed through our school, reenacting Avraham’s journey to the land of Cana’an. They all huddled in the doorway of my office, waiting to know: was this it? Is this Cana’an? As it turns out, Cana’an was down the hall.)

We don’t need to look as far back as our ancestry, or even imagine ourselves as strangers in need, though. We all use government assistance. Every one of us. Sometimes it’s invisible, and we have to remember to see it. This morning, I drove into Manhattan on paved roads. I turned on the tap and filled a glass with clean water. I bought something at the market that was stamped with an expiration date.

As noise of the shutdown grew louder, the counterbalance – for me – came through questions on all channels. Parents asked whether families among us might need some quiet help (should you, please reach out to us and see resources below). Teachers sent texts about avenues of response for our staff and student communities. Volunteers and administrators raised their hands, offering suggestions or to coordinate. Thank you. 

In response to this potential need, Beit Rabban will be partnering with two wonderful organizations:

New Neighbors Partnership, a local nonprofit founded by Beit Rabban alum, Shoshana Barzel, is seeking volunteers to order groceries or share gift cards with newly arrived refugee families in NYC— from Haiti, Afghanistan, Venezuela, Chad, and elsewhere—who may not receive the SNAP and WIC benefits that they count on. These newcomers will struggle to feed their families in the coming weeks until back-payments come in. If you can contribute a gift card or grocery order, sign up here.

We are also in touch with our wonderful local food pantry, West Side Campaign Against Hunger, with which Beit Rabban has partnered for years. Beit Rabban will be running a food and fundraising drive to benefit WSCAH as they seek to increase their grocery distribution by 50% in the month of November. This will allow our students direct impact: they can bring shelf-stable items with them to school (a box for food donations will be in the lobby), start their own fundraiser for WSCAH, and – in time – we’ll head to WSCAH as a group to package and distribute. 

Should you want to help as a volunteer in promoting these efforts to your classes and more, please reach out to our parent association food drive chair, Liza Weinberg. 

May we continue to come together in support of each other and our neighbors.