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The Food "Pushka"
NMB, Florida February 21, 2002 A.H. Schectman
THINKING ALLOWED
Essays on Issues, Ideas and Reflections on the Times. Published Now and
Then. Opinions Pro or Con Are Welcome.
THE FOOD "PUSHKA"
Every business counter had them and many are still there in certain
locations. It is a white rectangular canister with blue stripes and a Mogen
David (the 6 pointed "Star of David") on its front side. It was accepted
that it was there for your pennies and nickels in the slot on top and you
knew the money collected would go to help support the Orthodox communities
struggling to survive in Palestine. They were there when I was little.
The Israeli Supreme Court has just ruled that the Orthodox monopoly on
religious/civil affairs has ended. The struggle will not be over but
non-Orthodox Jews are on a more equal footing with the Orthodox majority.
They now have the same equal footing enjoyed by non-Jews in Israel. The
status of conversions is immediately of prime importance for the spouses of
Jews were not recognized if converted by non-Orthodox groups.
Jews all over the world contributed for hundreds of years to keep the spark
of religious life burning in the "Holy Land", a land successively ruled by
non-Jews. The Orthodox clergy in Israel accepted the contents of the
pushkas but not the people who freely gave. They accepted my help but did
not accept as equal the way I practice my Jewish faith.
The "pushka", an object familiar to most older people, seemed to be too
good a symbol to die away as the Israelis make a success of caring for their
own people. Back in New Jersey where Carol and I were part of social action
projects mainly in Temple Beth Miriam I took advantage of scraps of lumber
and plastic in my workshop.
I constructed a "food pushka". Instead of a little slot on top for coins I
made a hinged lid that dry food cartons, cans and packages of paper goods
could pass through. The front was a clear plastic panel so you could see
the soup cans, rice, dried fruits and paper towels inside. The contents
were collected and given to the needy in our neighborhood.
I would like to build another one for the "givers" here in my part of South
Florida. But I have no scraps and I no longer have a workshop.
Carol's Evaluation: 10 out of 10.
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