May 20, 2024

Rabbi Yudi Gerber, of Chabad of Aston, led a group of volunteers filling food boxes for the needy on Monday. A half-dozen people met at the Rachel Kohl Library to fill more than two dozen boxes, and then take them to the various families that signed up.

According to Gerber, the efforts are through the Jewish Relief Agency. Recipients don’t have to be Jewish to receive the food boxes, they just need to sign up with JRA.

“The reason why we do this is because it says God created the world out of kindness and gave us the ability to be kind to each other. The greatest way we can make an impact in the world is by being kind to others,” Gerber said. “It’s said that in a dark room, all you need is one little candle to light up the room. So, in a world that, unfortunately, is full of a lot of darkness, our goal and our job is to be that little light to light up the world.”

Charitable activities such as food distribution are considered mitzvahs, which can be interpreted as commandments or good deeds.

Gerber said his group has been involved with the food distribution program for more than two years and they do it monthly except during the summer months.

“The way it works is that people sign up to receive through a larger organization, the JRA, and we take care of the Delaware County deliveries,” Gerber said.

He added that they usually deliver the food to about 24 families in Delaware County. During the May 20 packing, 26 boxes were packed for delivery. But he said thousands of families are taken care of throughout the Philadelphia area.

Most of the products come from direct food donations, but there are cash donations that go toward the purchase of food.

Chabad is a Hassidic organization. Unlike other such organizations that tend to segregate themselves, Chabad focuses on and reaches out to secularized Jews.