Over the past few months, Har Sinai-Oheb Shalom Congregation has donated more than 2,000 meals to community members facing food insecurity. It’s all part of a social action program coordinated by the Pikesville congregation’s Tikkun Olam Projects from A to Z (TOPAZ) committee and its Posner JEM Religious School.
Each month, HSOSC packs more than 500 tote bags for Weekend Backpacks, a Pikesville-based nonprofit that provides meals to food-insecure youth in Baltimore City. Over the past five years, the congregation has packed more than 25,000 Weekend Backpacks. Each bag contains enough food to feed three to four people at least six meals over the weekend.
The produce distribution is through the synagogue’s Collaborating for Care program in which HSOSC partners with Life Builders Church to distribute fresh produce. Recipients receive bags filled with potatoes, onions, string beans, apples, tomatoes, peppers, corn, bananas and fresh greens.
Both Collaborating for Care and Weekend Backpacks rely on sponsorships from HSOSC members and their businesses.
On Sunday morning, Oct. 31, HSOSC families came together for three hours to schmooze and nosh with other religious school families while learning about Jewish Volunteer Connection’s Bunches of Lunches program. They also helped pack approximately 500 lunches that will be donated to community members facing food insecurity.
Simon Taylor, 6, and his mother, Emily, decorate lunch bags during Posner JEM Religious School’s family education event to support JVC’s Bunches of Lunches program. (Photo by Steve Ruark) 
Ava Taylor, 6, decorates lunch bags during Posner JEM Religious School’s family education event to support JVC’s Bunches of Lunches program. (Photo by Steve Ruark) 
Otto Hershkovitz, 7, decorates a lunch bag during Posner JEM Religious School’s family education event to support JVC’s Bunches of Lunches program. (Photo by Steve Ruark) 
Winnie Pachino, 6, shows a lunch bag she decorated during Posner JEM Religious School’s family education event to support JVC’s Bunches of Lunches program. (Photo by Steve Ruark) 
The Diamond family, Ron, Gideon, 10, and Janelle, stand together during Posner JEM Religious School’s family education event to support JVC’s Bunches of Lunches program. (Photo by Steve Ruark) 
Erica Bloom hugs her son Micah, 10, during Posner JEM Religious School’s family education event to support JVC’s Bunches of Lunches program. (Photo by Steve Ruark) 
Michael Pachino and his daughter Winnie, 6, pack lunches for people facing food insecurity during Posner JEM Religious School’s family education event to support JVC’s Bunches of Lunches program. (Photo by Steve Ruark) 
Volunteers pack lunches for people facing food insecurity during Posner JEM Religious School’s family education event to support JVC’s Bunches of Lunches program. (Photo by Steve Ruark) 
Otto Hershkovitz, center, 7, and other volunteers pack lunches for people facing food insecurity during Posner JEM Religious School’s family education event to support JVC’s Bunches of Lunches program. (Photo by Steve Ruark) 
Rabbi Rachel Sabath Beit-Halachmi, center, of Har Sinai-Oheb Shalom, helps pack lunches for people facing food insecurity during Posner JEM Religious School’s family education event to support JVC’s Bunches of Lunches program. (Photo by Steve Ruark) 
Volunteers pack lunches for people facing food insecurity during Posner JEM Religious School’s family education event to support JVC’s Bunches of Lunches program. (Photo by Steve Ruark)
Photos by Steve Ruark
A committed philanthropist and community leader, Russel was president of R&H Motors.
The mother of four was a native of Winchester, Virginia, who spent most of her life in Northwest Baltimore.
The Columbia resident worked on the Gemini and Apollo space missions.
A St. Louis native, Edelman served as ambassador to the central African nation from 1987 to 1989.