Pollies help out at TBI

PUTTING politics aside to help out the community, Jewish MPs Josh Burns and David Southwick donned their aprons at Temple Beth Israel (TBI) last week to help a team of volunteers feed the vulnerable.

Burns, federal member for Macnamara, and Southwick, member for Caulfield, helped to pack and hand out hot meals made in the TBI kitchen as part of the progressive synagogue’s Nourish program.

The initiative, which has been running for the past five years, was conceived and co-ordinated by Cantor Michel Laloum and Ellen Frajman in association with the Father Bob Maguire Foundation. It aims to give hungry and needy locals at least one fulsome, hot meal a week.

Before COVID, the team at Nourish served sit-down meals on Monday nights in Alma Park, rain hail or shine, where they were joined by Orange Sky – an organisation offering laundry services and showers to the homeless – as well as The Avalon Group, which gives out free clothing.

“It was a one-stop shop,” said volunteer coordinator Andrew Jakobovits. Since the pandemic began, the volunteers have been serving take-away meals only, each Monday outside the gates of TBI.

However, Jakobovits said the team is keen to resume sit-down services again once it’s safe to do so.

Nourish is currently serving about 30 meals each Monday, all lovingly made in the TBI kitchen with the help of volunteers.

To learn more or to donate visittbi.org.au/nourish/

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