MAZON: A Jewish Response to Hunger

MAZON: A Jewish Response to Hunger is an American nonprofit working to end hunger among people of all faiths and backgrounds in the United States and Israel.

MAZON: A Jewish Response to Hunger
Founded1985[1]
22-2624532[1]
Legal status501(c)(3) nonprofit organization
HeadquartersLos Angeles, California, United States
ServicesPartnership grantmaking; education, outreach, and advocacy; strategic initiatives.[1]
Abby J. Leibman[1]
Rabbi Joel Pitkowsky[2]
Revenue (2014)
$7,764,997[1]
Expenses (2014)$8,012,916[1]
Employees (2013)
19[1]
Volunteers (3)
3[1]
Websitewww.mazon.org

MAZON, which means "food" or "sustenance" in Hebrew, practices and promotes a multifaceted approach to hunger relief, recognizing the importance of responding to hungry peoples' immediate need for nutrition and sustenance while also working to advance long-term solutions. This holistic approach - executed through three interrelated strategies of education & advocacy, partnership grant-making and strategic initiatives - symbolizes its desire to embody twin Jewish ideals: tzedakah and tikkun olam.

MAZON has offices in Los Angeles, California (headquarters) and Washington, D.C.

Leadership

Rabbi Joel Pitkowsky of Teaneck, New Jersey is the current chair of the Board of Directors.[3] The immediate Past Chair is Liz Kanter Groskind of Tucson, Arizona.[4] Other former board chairs include Shirley Davidoff of Dallas,[5] Rabbi Harold Kravitz of Minneapolis, Minnesota,[6] Joel E. Jacob, Eve Biskind Klothen, Theodore R. Mann, David Napell, and Rabbi Arnold Rachlis.

Abby J. Leibman is MAZON's President and Chief Executive Officer.[1] Leibman has held this position since March 2011.

Inspiration and establishment

The founding of MAZON was inspired by the horrors of the Ethiopian famine of 1985, and was conceived by former Moment Magazine publisher Leonard Fein, who wanted to build a bridge between the Jewish community and millions of hungry people around the world.[7]

According to Jewish tradition, rabbis did not allow celebrations to begin until the community's poor and hungry people were seated and fed. Fein's notion was to incorporate this ancient tradition into modern day celebrations such as bar and bat mitzvahs, weddings, anniversaries, and other joyous occasions, to help feed those who are less fortunate. One way for people to symbolically follow this tradition is to donate a portion of the cost of these events to MAZON, either directly or through MAZON's many partner synagogues across the nation.

Work

MAZON, which means "food" or "sustenance" in Hebrew, believes ending hunger will require a holistic approach, acting to ensure that hungry people have access to the nutritious food they need today and working to develop and advance long-term solutions so that no one goes hungry tomorrow. MAZON employs three interrelated strategies in its work to end hunger:

  • educating its synagogue partners and the larger Jewish community about hunger and engaging in policy-based advocacy at the state and federal level to ensure that hungry people have adequate access to the nutritious food they need to thrive;
  • awarding partnership grants that support local, state and federal-level advocacy work by anti-hunger organizations; and
  • developing and implementing strategic initiatives that advance knowledge and increase capacity within the anti-hunger community.

Hunger Museum

The MAZON Hunger Museum opened in March 2023.[8] The museum is entirely virtual, with six galleries and several other interactive spaces.[9]

References
  1. "Form 990: Return of Organization Exempt from Income Tax". MAZON: A Jewish Response to Hunger. Guidestar. June 30, 2014.
  2. "Board". MAZON: A Jewish Response to Hunger. Retrieved 23 June 2022.
  3. "Teaneck Rabbi Selected as Board Chair of MAZON". Jewish Link. The Jewish Link Media Group. 3 June 2021. Retrieved 23 June 2022.
  4. Blomquist, Mala (29 July 2020). "MAZON: A Jewish Response to Everyone's Hunger". Arizona Jewish Life. MediaPort LLC. Retrieved 23 June 2022.
  5. "MAZON names new board chair". Jewish Herald-Voice. 15 October 2015. Retrieved 23 June 2022.
  6. Kravitz, Harold J.; Moriarty, Colleen (13 June 2013). "Hunger: Our leaders need to feel the pain". Star Tribune. Star Tribune Media Company, LLC. Retrieved 23 June 2022.
  7. Weber, Bruce (2014-08-16). "Leonard Fein, Provocative Writer on Jewish Affairs, Dies at 80". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2023-07-20.
  8. "MAZON to host tours of Hunger Museum". Cleveland Jewish News. 2023-05-22. Retrieved 2023-07-27.
  9. Luxner, Larry (2023-03-28). "New all-digital Hunger Museum charts US response to food insecurity through a Jewish lens". Jewish Telegraphic Agency. Retrieved 2023-07-27.
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