Jewish charity delivers Passover food to more than 200,000 homebound New Yorkers

Met Council Volunteers packing boxes of Passover food. Image by Courtesy of the Met Council on Jewish Poverty

By Irene Katz Connelly April 8, 2020

Ahead of Passover, the Met Council for Jewish Poverty, a New York-based charity, delivered hundreds of thousands of packages of kosher-for-Passover food to senior citizens and others stuck at home because of coronavirus.

Stacks of produce awaiting delivery. Image by Courtesy of the Met Council for Jewish Poverty

With many afraid or unable to leave the house because of coronavirus, or facing financial instability because of coronavirus-related economic slowdown, the Met Council faced unprecedented levels of need this Passover. In a typical year, said Met Council CEO David Greenfield, the nonprofit serves 180,000 people in the month before the holiday. This year, it has provided assistance to 201,000 people in the New York City area.

Met Council Volunteers loading a vehicle for delivery. Image by Courtesy of the Met Council on Jewish Poverty

The Met Council has delivered Passover staples, including 129,000 bottles of grape juice and 1,150,000 of potatoes, onions and apples. But packages also included Jewish delicacies from borscht, gefilte fish, hearts of palm, and pickles.

Packages of food awaiting delivery. Image by Courtesy of the Met Council on Jewish Poverty

The Met Council runs the country’s largest network of kosher food pantries and is the world’s largest distributor of free kosher-for-Passover food.

Irene Katz Connelly is an editorial fellow at the Forward. You can contact her at [email protected].