The Sova Healthy Soup Challenge: What does it mean to provide food of others?

Anne Hromadka: Kol Ami Shemot Teacher (Grades 2-4)

Poster by Kol Ami Shemot Class 

In January, the Kol Ami Social Action Committee asked the Kol Ami Religious School to hold a food drive to collect Ramen Noodle Soup on behalf of SOVA. My students remembered a previous lesson discussing hunger in Los Angeles focusing on nutrition and donating to local food banks/pantries. One example was how Ramen Soup had a high sodium content and was low in nutritional value. The Shemot class wanted to participate in the school wide challenge but wanted to do so in a way that meant they were comfortable with the nutritional choices they were making for others.

We began to unpack very serious questions: Why had Sova asked for Ramen Soup? What are “healthier choices”? Is food with lower nutritional value better than no food at all? If the goal is many meals for as little money as possible, what does this mean in terms of the higher cost of “healthier” options? Are we obligated Jewishly to give healthy meals when providing for someone else? If we challenge ourselves to give healthier meals could we impact the larger community to join this new challenge?

Unpacking these questions was not easy. Ultimately, my students learned that giving on all levels is a sacred mitzah. However, our tradition wisely teaches that there are steps to giving. We can engage on varying levels, which often correlate with preserving the dignity of those whom we are serving. While my class understood we might collect less food if we challenged ourselves and others to make “healthier” choices they decided that the “quality” of the food was as important as the cost factor.

The hidden lesson for the Shemot class was not that what they give to others matters. The hidden lesson was that they have the power to affect change. They were able to enlist the whole school in collecting “healthier” soups. Now through this article we are challenging you to join this cause. Together we hope to bring additional healthy meals into the homes of our fellow Los Angelinos. I want to thank the Kol Ami  Shemot Class (Grades 2-4) for inspiring myself and others to join the Sova Healthy Soup Challenge.

If you live in the Los Angeles area please bring healthy soup options such as Amy’s Organic Soups, Campbell’s Heart Healthy Soups, Health Valley Soups, Pacific Foods Soups, and or other low sodium healthy soups to your local Sova site through the month of February. As one of the Shemot students said, “Everyone deserves healthy meals.” B'tayavon!