Gittel’s Kitchen, the region’s only kosher soup kitchen, is open every Thursday from 5:30 to 6:30 p.m. For several years the soup kitchen has been hosted by Temple Bnai Moshe and Center Makor on Commonwealth Avenue in Brighton.

The soup kitchen is entirely student-run, with teams of volunteers from the Maimonides Upper School serving meals and visiting with diners each week. Food is donated by kosher restaurants and caterers.

“Our congregation is very excited to partner with the Maimonides School and its students in bringing acts of kindness to the larger community,” said Rabbi Yonah Berman, spiritual leader of Congregation Kadimah-Toras Moshe. “This program helps us in furthering our mission of being a shul that lives up its motto, ‘where all are welcome’."

Student leaders are also excited about the new arrangements. "Gittel’s Kitchen has so much potential to benefit the community. We hope the move to Kadimah will allow us to reach out to a broader range of diners," said Sarah Pomeranz, a Maimonides junior from Brookline.

”I'm excited at the prospect of using Maimonides resources to their fullest extent in order to help people in need,” said junior Jared Shein of Newton. "The move to Kadimah is going to help goals we've all had for a while finally become reality," added Charlotte Guedalia, a Newton sophomore.Other student leaders of the project are Adel Buff of West Roxbury and Moshe Forman of Brighton, both juniors.

The soup kitchen was established in 1997 by a Maimonides student from Manchester, NH, Jessica Singer. She explained that she was surprised to see someone from the school community in line at an area soup kitchen, and decided to offer a kosher option at least one meal a week. She named the effort in memory of her mother.

Over the years scores of students have followed her lead, staffing the soup kitchen not only on school days but also during the summer and other vacations.

Some of the diners have been attending for years. Many are not Jewish, but the students emphasize that all are welcome.

Articles:

The Jewish Advocate: 

• School's Kosher Soup Kitchen Relocates
• Students Dish Up Meals at Gittel's Kitchen

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