Rabbis, Congressmen take poverty challenge

By · September 18, 2007

Three well-known rabbis will join two Congress members in living for a week on meals worth a dollar.

Rabbi David Saperstein, the director of Reform’s Religious Action Center, Rabbi Steve Gutow, the director of the Jewish Council for Public Affairs and Rabbi Nina Beth Cardin of the Baltimore Jewish Environmental Network will join Rep. Keith Ellison (D-Minn.), Congress’ only Muslim, and Rep. Raul Grijalva (D-Ariz.) in taking on JCPA’s “Food Stamp Challenge.”

The challenge, to be launched today, is aimed at protesting food stamp subsidies that JCPA, the umbrella body for Jewish policy makers, and other anti-poverty groups say force the poor to dine on meals costing no more than a dollar. Leaders in some 20 Jewish communities across the United States will also participate.

Saperstein tied the challenge to efforts in Congress to expand food stamp funding through the pending Farm Bill.