Philadelphia

Jewish food bank in Philadelphia assuages local hunger and poverty

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Did you know that 57,000 Jews in the Greater Philadelphia area are impoverished? The Jewish Relief Agency began by helping only 19 families in the area, and now teens are joining them to help nearly 4,000 families. Learn how a community can make a difference here.

PHILADELPHIA, Jan. 20 (JTA) – Andrew Klazmer had an important delivery to make, but he couldn't find apartment B11. Toting a heavy box of canned goods, the 12-year-old scanned hallway after hallway, peering at faded apartment numbers in vain.

Then he spotted the mezuzah.

"Mom, it's over here," Klazmer called out excitedly, tapping the door.

In addition to acting as an ad-hoc navigational device, the mezuzah pointed to the bond that giver and receiver share – their Jewish identity.