REPAIR THE WORLD NYC

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Something New!

Written by Melanie Lewis, originally posted on her blog ThresholdWorld on Monday, August 28th, 2017

Well it’s mid-day on a Sunday Afternoon as I create this post. Always a great time for writing and reflecting. Last week this time, Sunday, August 20th, I led a walking tour of my Crown Heights community accompanied by my fellow advisory board member Yasmin Schwartz and members the 2017-2018 NYC Repair the World Fellows.

Repair the World was founded in 2009 to make meaningful service a defining element of American Jewish life. Repair mobilizes tens of thousands of young Jews to volunteer in tackling pressing local needs each year, and Repair equips communities and partners to do the same.

Pictured here are Brian, Michele, Yasmin, Hazel Hurley of 1100 Bergen Street Community Garden, yours truly and Emma. Click here to learn from Rachel Holliday Smith on how the garden was saved from development. 

The fellows were open to learning, sharing as new neighbors and ready to join in making a difference. Click here to learn about all of them. Stop by to say hello during the annual For the Love of Crown Heights Event on September 14th. Register here! The event will be held at Repair the World headquarters located at 808 Nostrand. It’s an open house celebration of Crown Heights for all those who love/want to learn about the neighborhood!

Repair the World’s signature program, Repair the World Communities, engages young adults in social change around education and food justice in neighborhoods in Baltimore, Detroit, Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, and New York City. In most communities, a City Director supports a cohort of fellows (ages 21-26) who make a year-long service commitment to Repair the World. During this year, Repair’s fellows work closely with local nonprofits to create authentic and impactful volunteering and education opportunities—and they use peer-to-peer outreach and recruitment to engage thousands of other young adults in volunteering and learning.

Another great Sunday of Service. Pictured with 2015-2016 fellows in Prospect Park for Brooklyn Community Service, BCS Step Challenge. Click here for their next event. 

The fellows represent diverse states across the U.S. They each have some experience in education and food justice which deepens as they serve. You’re welcome to volunteer on a local project with a community partner anytime. Click here!

There will even be opportunities to attend and experience Shabbat dinners this year as well. The MLK one is not to be missed! A Shabbat dinner usually occurs at sundown on a Friday night. Customary prayers or blessings are said aloud, there’s a washing of your hands, sharing of the bread and drinking of the wine. 

My first Shabbat dinner was in 2015. The Challah bread and wine are set nicely in the pic right? Well the meal that came after was excellent. The evening was a national service Shabbat hosted by Repair the World at the Brooklyn Children’s Museum. Repair the World usually has table questions to assist in conversing and I was enlightened. 

I was not only in attendance but a table host and co-led my fellow national service members to share gratitude, intention and affirmations related to the evening and service.

Growing up in Crown Heights, I never had a Jewish friend or been invited to such an event. Yet Repair welcomed me. Service united us. The members of my table were very open and honest in sharing answers to my questions and I shared as well. It bought healing to me. I gained understanding. I’ve also had opportunities to meet more members of the Jewish faith in my neighborhood through service. This is beloved community. 

At Crown Inn fellows and advisory board members shared tour experiences.

As you go along this week accept the opportunity to meet someone new. Maybe it’ll be at a volunteer project. Perhaps with someone of another faith or someone that looks different than you. Most of all be sure it’s someone in which you can share and receive something new. 

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Racial Justice Seminar with SF Hillel

A few weeks ago, SF Hillel students arrived in Central Brooklyn for a Racial Justice Seminar Alternative Spring Break trip. Along with education and food justice volunteer projects, we did an anti-oppression training, a Civil Rights Era tour, a lecture on community organizing and police brutality, and a Jewish text study on refugees with HIAS. The week of volunteering projects, from teaching students to read to supporting literacy of incarcerated youth, was, as one student put it, “one for the books.” Check out the students’ awesome reflections on their experiences.

- Sarah, RTW NYC Education Justice Fellow

In the days after the presidential election, my emotions were running high. I felt angry about a lack of justice. I shared these thoughts with a Hillel staff member, who said that sitting in my anger wasn’t doing anybody any good. She asked what I was doing to help my community, and my mind drew a blank. That’s when she suggested I participate in the Alternative Break Trip to Central Brooklyn.

Before spring break, many people knew that I was going to New York, but seemed surprised when I said it was for an organized social justice trip. They seemed to be expecting an answer that was more stereotypical for a college student. While many of my friends chose to spend their spring breaks at home or partying, I was fortunate enough to devote an entire week to social justice volunteer work in New York, an amazing state that I had never before experienced. I had such a rewarding week tutoring elementary schoolers, volunteering at a food pantry, and responding to poetry that was beautifully written by currently incarcerated people.

One of the organizations I most enjoyed volunteering with is called Books Through Bars. The organization mails books to people serving prison sentences. Incarcerated people write letters requesting books, and volunteers put together a set of books together according to the requests. One letter in particular that I read was so well-written and in such beautiful script. Opening these letters made me more aware of stereotypes we hold about incarcerated people and opened my eyes to the fact that these people behind bars are fighting to educate themselves. I plan to continue to volunteer with Books through Bars in San Francisco.

I am so thankful for all of my experiences in Brooklyn. I spent my Spring Break doing service; however, I was still able to visit all of the classic NYC destinations: Times Square, Rockefeller Center, the Statue of Liberty, and Ellis Island. From volunteering with organizations that support children and incarcerated youth to all of the incredible sight-seeing, my week in New York was incredible.

- Hannah

I believe that when we forget people are human, atrocities happen. Being Jewish is about never letting a suffering soul go unnoticed. To help someone in need is to witness yourself in another. This Racial Justice Seminar gave me the kick that I needed. I had been wanting to do more social justice, and Repair the World’s week-long program gave me the opportunity. The volunteering opportunity with Reading Partners was even better than I had anticipated. Volunteering with Books Through Bars and the prison poetry workshop really touched my heart. It made me realize that doing a little can make a huge difference in someone’s life. I commit to continue to serve with these organizations back in San Francisco.

- Misty

I didn’t know what to expect when I decided to travel to New York for my final spring break as an undergraduate student. The experience gave me a better understanding of the fantastic volunteer work that happens in New York City. One of my favorite opportunities was volunteering on Wednesday and Friday of our trip with Reading Partners. It is a nonprofit that provided one-to-one literacy tutoring to elementary students who are at least one month behind in reading. Each child that I tutored was smiling and laughing by the end of the session. I was so impressed by the kids’ drive and determination. One student who I had tutored on Wednesday came up to me out of nowhere on Friday and gave me a big bear hug, which was so special. 

This trip taught me to be increasingly aware of how I might be perceived as a volunteer in the community. One day, another student and I went to a subway station in Crown Heights to hand out SNAP flyers.  I was worried about the image of two white college students handing out flyers in a predominantly black neighborhood. From day one of the trip, we had learned how to interact with the community with respect. We had also learned about productive discomfort In terms of SNAP, the knowledge that one flyer could spur a family to be fed for a year helped me work through my productive discomfort as I thought about the long-term benefits of what we were doing.

I’m going to take so much from my time in New York. I will remember the kids I met during my time volunteering and the people that work at the many wonderful organizations. As I move towards college graduation and hopefully graduate school, I will always remember my spring break in New York. Thanks Repair the World for making it happen!

- Elliot

When I signed up for the Racial Justice Seminar, I was so excited for the trip, but I was also nervous because I had never tutored school children or volunteered at a food pantry before. Some of my favorite projects ended up being tutoring students with Reading Partners and doing food kitchen prep work at Masbia Kosher Soup Kitchen. 

Volunteering with organizations across Brooklyn showed me how many ways there are to serve the community.  Since the trip, I have been more cognizant of my surroundings and the privilege that I took for granted when I was growing up. After the trip, I feel much more confident about how to go about volunteering with organizations that are new to me.  I plan to start organizing volunteer opportunities for my sorority sisters once a month, and then increase the commitment to once a week.

- Victoria

Before this Alternative Break trip, I was honestly pretty nervous. I didn’t know many of the SF Hillel people in our group, I was traveling alone, and I didn’t know what to expect. I ended the trip not only with experience working in the community, but with great new friends. I gained a good sense of myself on this trip and learned to love people even more.

I had many favorite moments throughout this trip. Some of these included the Civil Rights tour throughout the city, the workshop with Free Minds, and serving with Books Through Bars and Reading Partners. Reading Partners is a very structured program that teaches children to read, and it was just incredible to be a part of that.  I also really enjoyed volunteering in a food pantry and soup kitchen. Flyering about SNAP benefits took us through some really interesting neighborhoods of Brooklyn. We also stayed at the East Midwood Jewish Center, which was an absolutely beautiful building. A particular highlight was learning that the Torah commands us to care for the stranger.

Even though we were busy volunteering during the day, we managed to have plenty of free time. Seeing the Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island was really incredible. I also loved trying new foods. At one point during the trip, a few of us got lost on the subway and we had the best time making jokes. We also found a cat shelter that allowed us to play with the cats. (I am still not a cat person.) I am leaving with a deeper appreciation and consideration for others. Now that I’ve bonded with the group, I’m looking forward to getting more involved with SF Hillel. I was so inspired by the nonprofits with which we served and the talks we shared. This trip gave me an understanding of community organizing and involvement that most people don’t have the opportunity to experience. I felt such a strong sense of community among the organizations in Brooklyn. Best of all, I learned of ways to get involved in my own community now and in the future.

Thank you Repair the World and shout out to Sarah.

- Scott

Sarah Garfinkel is an Education Justice Fellow this year working with Reading Partners, a literacy tutoring program. You can reach her at [email protected]

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Feminism, Social Change, and the “One-Track Mind”

During the summer after my sophomore year of college, I stayed in Ann Arbor to intern at a small non-profit dedicated to protecting local water quality. A friend from college decided to visit me for a week. We were walking along the pond in front of the music school, and she was talking about her passion for feminism and asked if I was also interested in it. I told her no, my passion was the environment, and wasn’t feminism not really a big deal anymore? She kindly told me that no, it was still a big deal, and that I should still care about it even if my “main” focus was on environmental issues. I acknowledged what she said, but largely forgot about it for the next few years.

Fast forward, and I’m in the office of Tony Hillery, the founder of Harlem Grown. As a person passionate about sustainability, I was so excited to meet with someone who had created an urban farming project in the middle of Harlem. Fresh food! Sustainably grown, local produce! A greenhouse for year-round growing! I sat down, and the first thing I learned was that there are eleven shelters within a four-block radius of Harlem Grown’s main farm. Forty percent of the students in the local elementary school live in those shelters. Harlem Grown may be an urban farm, but it exists to serve a very different purpose than what I had in mind. When Tony created the farm, he was struck by the transitional life of these students, and the support and continuity they craved. Really, Harlem Grown exists as a community empowerment project, complete with a worker re-entry program and daily school trips to their educational farm. It was a wake-up call for me. I may be passionate about sustainability, but it is incomplete for me to not also care about racial justice, poverty, and homelessness in my own city. And by including diverse social justice issues in our efforts, we are not only improving the world for us, but for all.

“If you have come here to help me, you are wasting your time. But if you have come because your liberation is bound up with mine, then let us work together.”

- Lilla Watson, Indigenous Australian visual artist, activist and academic

The New York Times Magazine recently wrote an article about this issue within the feminist movement – the “one-track mind” that sometimes plagues our social justice efforts. If we are for feminism, can we also be for racial justice? If we are for feminism, should we include LGBTQ issues? It can be hard to focus on so many things at once. The beginning of the women’s rights movement found itself in quite an exclusionary place. This was meant for white women, and not black women. As the article describes, however, this actually weakened their arguments:

Throughout the convention, men arrived to speak out against women’s suffrage. Women, they said, were too weak and helpless to be trusted with the power of the vote. Because “there were very few women in those days who dared to ‘speak in meeting,’ ” as Gage put it, their points went unchallenged until [Sojourner] Truth stepped forward. White women hissed, but Truth’s very identity nullified the arguments coming from both men and women in attendance. “That man over there says that women need to be helped into carriages, and lifted over ditches, and to have the best place everywhere,” she said. “Nobody ever helps me into carriages, or over mud puddles, or gives me any best place. And ain’t I a woman? Look at me! Look at my arm!” She rolled up her sleeve to the shoulder. “I have plowed and planted, and gathered into barns, and no man could head me. And ain’t I a woman?”

How amazing is it, that by including diverse peoples and movements, we are empowering and strengthening our own arguments and social change platforms. We’ve learned this lesson over and over again! And still, this past Women’s March on Washington began as yet another exclusive movement until women of color pushed and challenged those organizing it. So, how can we learn from this history and move forward? We can spend time learning from others, amplifying the voices of women and people of color, and thinking outside of our little boxes.

Repair the World NYC is hosting a panel event this coming Tuesday at 7pm dedicated to exactly this. Join us to learn from two women who are excited to speak about intersectionality in feminism, and how race, immigration, and religion all affect the female experience. You can access more information here.

Jhena Vigrass is a Food Justice Fellow with Repair the World NYC. She works with urban farms around Central Brooklyn and Harlem, and manages the Brooklyn Farm Crew. You can contact her at [email protected]

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Immigrants and Stereotypes

By 2043, estimations project that the United States will no longer be a majority, non-Hispanic white nation. That is a mere 26 years, or just more than one generation away. Anywhere from 4-6 presidents from now (trying to be optimistic for 2020), the United States will have undergone a massive demographic shift, over 80% of which is due to immigration within the past two generations.

Over Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Weekend, I had the privilege to volunteer with a Russian-speaking Jewish community in Bensonhurst, Brooklyn. After 45 minutes of packaging pasta, olive oil, cookies, tuna and jelly together for deliveries, we were sent off into the Russian-speaking community with teenage translators by our side. Naturally, I was afraid of how I would be perceived as such an outsider by the local elderly with such a language and age barrier. However, I was blown away by the openness of one of my hosts to share her personal battles. During the Holocaust, she spent years hidden in the basement of a Righteous Gentile, while her brothers died in the partisan movement. She spent the following forty years living in both Israel and the Soviet Union, practicing as a physician and raising children who became successful lawyers, authors, and professors. After the fall of the Soviet Union, her and her family immigrated to the melting pot of Bensonhurst, and she fell from wealthy to poverty and never learned English.

Ben volunteering with CAMBA preparing food over MLK Weekend

This woman could have validated so many stereotypes of elderly and immigrants as true; however, her inspirational journey will never leave me (even as I listened to it in Russian!). Now, more than ever, we must be there for our neighbors: young and old, white and black, American and immigrant. Delivering this woman her bag of food reminded me that everyone has an important story to share, and it’s our responsibility to let these stories be heard. There will always be threats of fear and cowardly voices to hold us back, but no matter what, almost all of us are the descendants of immigrants with a story.

Ben Weiner is an Education Justice fellow with Repair the World NYC. You can contact him at [email protected]

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Teaching: Who is it For?

An old boss once told me that being a teacher is for 'people who never wanted to grow up and get a real job'. It caught me off guard because I have always seen education as the key to my future. It caught me off guard because without teachers, children would be limited to the knowledge their parents shared in their limited spare time after work. It caught me off guard because in today's day and age, there are very few places of employment we can enter without at least some level of education. It caught me off guard because without teachers I would not have been able to get that job, which required a Bachelors degree. It caught me off guard because in that small company, this was the very person who set that requirement for a Bachelors degree.  

The irony of that situation still sits with me -- if being a teacher is merely a job sought by those who are not convicted enough to enter the 'real' world, why was my degree, a product of dozens of teachers, required for the position? And not just a high school diploma, not a certificate, not an associates degree, but 4 years of full time, extensive learning -- provided by teachers. Why was this a requirement for me to be an 'ideal' candidate for the job?

What do you think about this quote?

The irony is that although we are products of our environment, we seldom give credit to the factors that got us where we are. Although people in high positions, the 'shot-callers', rely on our teachers to instill in us the knowledge necessary to be beneficial members of their office environment, they can still, somehow, devalue the importance of  our educators as being influential factors in their livelihood. Teachers are paid nowhere near the amount that lawyers and doctors are paid, yet teachers are vital to the process in becoming both of those professions which are commonly deemed as some of the most noble ventures. 

The irony in this points to a larger, systemic issue that is a common theme in our society as we discredit those who paved the way, or paved us, and allowed us to aim for goals such as being a doctor or lawyer. Not only do we forget about the mailman who delivers the boss's mail everyday, or the receptionist who deals with the angry client on the phone so the boss doesn't have to, we discredit their importance in the complex, multi-layered system that is our society. 

Teachers are not merely those who couldn't cut it in the 'real' world. If they were, why is my education, the product of their labor, so important in deciding if I would be an ideal candidate for that real world job?

Mia Flowers is an Education Justice Fellow with RTW NYC this year working with Legal Hand and the Crown Heights Community Mediation Center. You can reach her at [email protected]

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Inspire and serve others to act! Apply by January 31 to become a Repair the World Fellow! Come live your best life! http://thndr.me/5NuWRy

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The Future Is Ours, Not His

By: Jake Max

A couple weeks ago I took the afternoon off to see the latest entry in the Star Wars franchise, Rogue One: A Star Wars Story.  The film features Felicity Jones as Jyn Erso, a captivating female protagonist who should inspire not only the next generation of Star Wars fans, but perhaps more importantly, the next generation of Americans.  When I left the theater that chilly Tuesday, one line stuck with me more than anything else.  Jyn implores the rest of the rebel forces—and on a more abstract level, the audience—not to give up.  She finally declares:

“Rebellions are built on hope.”

To me, this advice couldn’t be more timely.  Things don’t always go as planned—that’s simply a reality of the world that we live in.  Moreover, in a democracy, we must accept that we will not always share in the opinions of the majority.  Our freedom is both a blessing and a curse; more than anything, it is both a privilege and responsibility.  Now is not the time to give up.  Rather, it is the time to stand up.

We can march, and protest, and petition as much as we’d like, however, where the progress will really begin is here on the ground.  We all have to acknowledge and accept the fact that an immense shift in both leadership and policy will be taking place in the coming days, weeks, and months.  Now is the time to embrace change, because, we haven’t any other choice.  As John Roemer, the former Executive Director of the ACLU of Maryland, liked to say, “The first rule of Democracy is that you have to agree to lose.”  Nevertheless, when the campaign is over, it is our duty as citizens to continue the longstanding tradition of peaceful, bipartisan governance.

Still, policy is only one factor in the increasingly complex landscape contributing to social justice in America.  Our partner organizations certainly don’t plan on closing their doors Monday, and there is still a lot of work to be done.  Whether it’s tutoring students after school or serving meals at the soup kitchen, now more than ever we are the ones with the power to drive tangible change.  At the end of the day, the future isn’t his—it’s ours.  All we have to do is take it.

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Repair the World NYC invites you to honor the legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. through service and learning. http://thndr.me/Pvmn2p

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New York City Movement Leaders: Reflecting on the Election

Repair the World fellows and staff had the privilege of meeting with three amazing leaders within the Brooklyn and Queens community this past week. They shared their thoughts and reflections on the election and current political climate.

Assemblywoman Nilly Rozic, New York State Assemblywoman

“It’s up to us, to wipe off the dust after the election, to roll up our sleeves and get to work…There’s tremendous momentum right now amongst people who are not neccessarily tuned in all of the time. Our success or failure will be determined by whether we keep those people engaged not just as allies, but as stakeholders. MIllennials will make up 1/3 of voters between now and 2060. Register your friends to vote. Mobilize your peers to bring early voting to New York. Voting matters, especially at the local level, every year.”

Mark Winston Griffith, Executive Director of the Brooklyn Movement Center

“It’s hard to accept that so many people in this country made this decision. I accept that there are people who are hurting, but he didn’t make an economic argument, he made a racial one. He said the economy was a zero sum game, that black and brown people take your physical and economic security and you need to take it back. At the end of the day, that wasn’t a deal breaker. My humanity was traded away, overlooked, and seen as secondary in a conversation about the future of our country.

We’ve been woke up. Things will never be quite the same.The onus is on us now and the future begins with local organizing. Now is not the time to think of yourself as an individual.”

Ben Shuldiner, Hunter Professor and President of the Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development (ACSD)

“I've been sharing two pieces of advice. First, go be a worker. Don't start your own initiative or organization. Join the people who've been doing the work.

Second, figure out where your leverage points are. Use the leverage you already have and act locally. Care about the district you are from. Find what you’re passionate about and speak with authenticity about it. Pick one or two things and move forward.”

Thank you to Nilly, Mark, and Ben for sharing their thoughts and wisdom with us! We are always left inspired, impassioned, and challenged whenever we engage with leaders in our communities.

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2016: The Worst Year in History?

Donald Trump and Stephen Bannon have gained power. Muhammad Ali, David Bowie, Elie Wiesel, Prince, and so many more have passed away. Tragedies have struck in Haiti, Istanbul, Orlando, Disney World, Syria, Dallas, Baton Rouge, Nice, and beyond. The rights of immigrants, Muslims, women, the LGBTQ community, and more have been threatened, and access to health care and public education as human rights are in jeopardy. As people are questioning their hope in the future of our country, 2016 has been dubbed “the worst year in history.”

With that said, Thanksgiving and yesterday’s news about Fidel Castro reminded me that there is still so much to be grateful for. We still live in a country that was founded on the principle that all people are created equal with life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness as unalienable rights. Twice a year, our democracy gives us the opportunity to vote and work toward change on a local level. That is more of a say in the future of my community than people have in towns across the world.

We all have the opportunity to shape the future trajectory of our country through volunteering. Every week, I spend hours teaching the next generation of students and leaders science, technology, engineering, and math with Digital Girl, Inc. I work one-on-one with a 4th grader to improve her literacy skills with Reading Partners. I volunteer with New York Cares to help recent immigrants to New York City learn English and study civics to become citizens.

Ben leading a science experiment with Digital Girl, Inc.

I would like to think that if Muhammad Ali, David Bowie, Elie Wiesel, and Prince were still alive today, they would similarly be taking concrete actions to improve their communities. There is little doubt that 2016 has saddened us, challenged us, and thrown our backs against the wall. Some will complain, and others will consider a move from the United States. Or, join me and take advantage of the opportunities we have to convert our visions of the world into reality.

Randy Pausch, a former CMU professor and author of The Last Lecture so eloquently wrote: “The brick walls are there for a reason. The brick walls are not there to keep us out. The brick walls are there to give us a chance to show how badly we want something.” If 2016 truly was one of the worst years in history, we have never been in a better position to make 2017 one of the best.

Ben Weiner is an Education Justice Fellow with RTW NYC this year working with Digital Girl, Inc. You can reach him at [email protected]

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On Winning

Let me tell you something about winning. Doesn’t matter who does— This is just the beginning. When it ends, None of us should be grinning. We don’t play for the Cubs— This is not the 10th inning. To forget this campaign, We would only be sinning. Ignoring injustice— The great underpinning. Our country is broken, We’ve lost our foundation. But, where did it go? This was once a great nation. A leader’s elected— We go on vacation. But, we don’t have 4 years for abstract contemplation.

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“Repair the World -- how are you going to do that?”

When I’m walking down the street in my volunteer t-shirt, someone always asks, and I often don’t know how to answer.  I was lucky enough to go see Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg speak at an event last week, and she had one line that really resonated with the work we’ve been doing here at Repair the World. In response to a question regarding her improbable friendship with Justice Scalia, she said, “You can disagree without being disagreeable.”  In short, two people can disagree fundamentally on any given issue, and still treat each other with unwavering respect.  Similarly, you can affect positive change without insisting that you know all the answers.

RTW Fellows volunteering at Bed-Stuy Campaign Against Hunger, a crucial Food Pantry in Central Brooklyn.

The reality is that we live in a complex world with complex problems—this can be disconcerting, even overwhelming, when charged with the mission of repairing the world.  It’s not any one person’s fault that our world appears so broken—rather, it’s the consequence of generations of narcissism and neglect, collective injustice and institutional racism.  So, today, we are faced with a situation where we must make up for lost time.  Less important is who is at fault, but finding sustainable solutions to poverty, education, and hunger is paramount.  It is our duty to leave this world better than we found it, not worse.

By working with local partners, Repair the World seeks to engage the next generation of volunteers and connect them with the initiatives that are already in place to foster a community of thoughtful collaboration.  Whether it is volunteering for a few hours at the soup kitchen with St. John’s Bread and Life or facilitating coding workshops with Digital Girl, we have a catalogue of opportunities for all to join in and lend a hand whenever their schedules allow it. In the end, no act of Tikkun Olam (Hebrew for repair the world) is too small—we must join together to preserve and rejuvenate this earth that humankind has enjoyed for so many generations.  We must act with urgency, because if we wait until tomorrow, I fear, it might be too late.

Jake Max is a Food Justice Fellow with RTW NYC this year, working with St. John’s Bread & Life and Masbia Soup Kitchen. You can reach him at [email protected]

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What Do Ukuleles Have To Do With Justice?

I think it’s no secret that education in the US is inequitable in many areas. Typically, students from lower income households end up going to less well performing schools, which have fewer resources. Access to fewer resources can put students at a disadvantage compared to their more affluent peers. There are so many areas of academic and emotional development that this disparity can effect, but I’m going to focus on one in this post: Developing Creativity.

Exposure to the arts can have a significant positive impact on children. Students who have the opportunity to engage in arts education tend to achieve academically, socially, emotionally, and even physically. In addition to all of the benefits the creative arts can provide, I believe they are one of the things that makes life beautiful, gives it meaning, and makes it worth living. Both children and adults should have access to creative arts, regardless of whether or not they have the means to pay for private lessons or buy an expensive instrument or equipment.

That’s why I decided to start the Crown Heights Ukulele Club. We meet about once a week to play ukulele together. I teach chords, strumming patterns, basic music theory (and I mean REALLY basic), and get people out of their comfort zones by gently forcing them to sing with me. It’s great! We’ve been meeting since January, and new people show up all the time. No musical background is necessary, with members ranging in their previous musical experiences. The idea behind the club is to teach adults in the community how to play ukulele for free. In turn, they volunteer to teach others how to play! Ukes are the perfect instrument for kids. They’re small enough, durable enough (they’re often made of plastic), and even colorful enough to capture the attention of most children.

A typical meeting of the Crown Heights Ukulele Club at 808 Nostrand Ave.

One of my favorite things to do at the Gary Klinsky Children’s Center at PS 21 where I volunteer every week, is to bring my uke and have singalongs with the students. As soon as they see my bright yellow instrument, they become fascinated. They want to tell me where they’re seen one before, name songs they know that have ukulele in them, and get their hands on one. It’s so fun to teach them a little about how music works and pass around an instrument that many of them have never actually held in their hands before. I see their eyes light up as if saying, “This instrument is really in my hands! I’m so cool! I can be just like [insert favorite musician here]!” It makes music a tangible thing that kids feel capable of creating. It also makes after school teachers smile, which can be a rare occurrence since they’re often overworked and underpaid. There are few times in my life that I have felt as tangible an amount of joy as when I am playing ‘This Little Light of Mine’ while singing and dancing around with first graders.

Students practice some chords at Gary Klinsky Children’s Institute

On Sunday, June 5th the Crown Heights Ukulele Club had our first children’s workshop at the Brooklyn Children’s Museum. We performed such childhood classics as ‘Old McDonald Had a Farm’, ‘What A Wonderful World’, and of course ‘The Wheels on the Bus’. After a brief performance (in which toddlers danced around, and I got adults who are not used to singing in front of anyone to sing onstage in front of dozens of people) we let everyone in the room play around with the ukuleles we brought. If they were old enough we taught them chords, if not, we just let them make noise. Everyone was smiling. Everyone was making music. It was wonderful.

Shannon Ferguson and Scott Jacobson teach families about ukulele at the BK Children’s Museum

I know that as one person I can’t fix all of the problems I see every day. I don’t have the knowledge or resources for that (although I’m working on it). What I can do though, is spread some music, some laughter, and bring the community together by sharing a resource that is lacking in many instances. The only way that we’re going to solve problems that have persisted for decades is through creativity. We need children to grow up in environments that foster that creativity so they can use it as a skill to solve world problems when they get older. We need today’s decision makers to think about issues in creative and different ways to bring about necessary changes to tired policies and practices that no longer work in our ever changing society. What better way to do that than through some ukulele lessons?

Want to join? Come to the next Crown Heights Ukulele Club meeting!

Shannon is an education justice fellow at Repair The World NYC. You can reach her at [email protected] 

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An Interview with a Superstar Repair the World Volunteer

Emily Pek is a dedicated volunteer with Repair the World, and has spent countless hours in service with our community partners Masbia and the Crown Heights Community Mediation Center. Learn more about how Emily’s passion for food justice and volunteer work in partnership with local organizations in New York City have been supported by Repair the World in an interview with Fellow Pnina Tranen below.

Emily poses with some freshly picked radishes

Pnina: Hi Emily, thank you for joining me! Can you start off by telling us what you do professionally?

Emily: This is a difficult question-my hands are in a lot of different pots right now. I spend most of my time at the Youth Farm farming as an apprentice, and I also have some part time work at a restaurant and a grocery store. I have the opportunity to see many different aspects of the food system.

P: Is there a particular social justice issue that you feel most passionately about?

E: I am most passionate about food justice, which goes hand in hand with many other social justice issues. Food justice intersects with racial and economic justice, and once you are involved in food justice it’s impossible not to be involved in these social justice issues as well. Specifically, this is what I feel most passionately about: the right of every human being to have access to nutritious food, and to have the ability to grow their own food in a sustainable way.

P: Wow, thank you for sharing! Was there an experience that you had that sparked your passion for food justice?

E: I don’t think there is one defining experience that sparked my passion. I grew up with an appreciation for food, and the older I grew the more deeply I learned about food and nutrition, and my passion grew with my increased knowledge. I have always loved being creative and cooking, and love helping and working with people. Over the years those interests came together and became my passion of helping people who don’t have access to the nutritious food I do obtain that access, or who did not grow up with the education about food the way I did learn more about nutrition.

P: Can you tell me about a meaningful volunteer experience you’ve had with Repair the World?

There are so many-the reason I was attracted to Repair was the volume and variety of service opportunities available. I volunteered at Masbia, a restaurant-style soup kitchen in Flatbush, for a while. The experience took me outside of my comfort zone and allowed me to see a broader part of the Brooklyn community. Volunteering there was a good introduction to understanding food challenges in New York City. I currently volunteer with Legal Hand, a legal resource center in partnership with the Crown Heights Community Mediation Center. At Legal Hand, I get the chance to focus on helping community members navigate systems filled with inequality, and have learned about policy reform. My time volunteering at Legal Hand allows me to hear the needs of the community first hand, which is essential in doing food justice work.

Emily representing Masbia on the news! 

P: It sounds like you have gained a lot through your service with Repair the World! How would you say your personal values align with the values of Repair?

I deeply connect with the concept of learning what the needs of a community are FROM the community, and about serving WITH the community. I also really appreciate and identify with opening lines of communication between different communities, which is an essential part of the work that Repair the World does. I believe that it’s vital to bridge gaps and create common ground in food justice work.

P: What do you love most about Repair the World?

E: How welcoming and inclusive it is, and the opportunities to be involved in both service and social/educational events. I feel recognized as a volunteer, and that I am a part of something meaningful and bigger than myself.

P: On to a few fun questions! Repair is so lucky to have you as our neighbor in Crown Heights. What is your favorite thing about living here?

E: The diversity! I see something new and different everyday. I have had the opportunity to meet so many interesting and passionate people.

P: As a person who loves cooking, what is your favorite dish to make?

E: I don’t necessarily have a favorite dish, but I do have a favorite way to cook. It’s a fun challenge to figure out how to make something edible from all the ingredients in my kitchen. I had flour and some vegetables last night, and I made pizza dough and then put the veggies on the pizza. For people on a budget, I think it’s a great way to cook.

P: Yum! Last question: I would love to hear how you personally are going to help “repair the world”?

E: I think my goal is not necessarily to repair the world, but to try to understand the world. I may not be able to repair it, but the more I am involved in food justice the more I can understand the world and its issues, and the more I am able to build my life around supporting a positive food movement.

To get involved with volunteering with us, email [email protected]

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Working Out Crown Heights

Living in a new neighborhood can be uncomfortable for the first couple weeks. It takes time to figure out where the good spots to eat are, where the best places to go out are, and even where the closest gym is. When I first moved to Crown Heights I tried to stay at my old gym, and my only mode of transportation was to walk- for 35 minutes. Even though fitness is important to me, as the weather was getting colder those lonely walks were getting pretty difficult to motivate myself to do.

Azriel at the #SupportForRefugees campaign with coworkers Alli and Taylor ( from left to right)

Then, my City Director, Cindy Greenberg, told me about the Bed-Stuy YMCA. It was a shorter walk and I could take the bus if I needed to. So I gave it a shot and did a workout there using a free pass that everyone is entitled to. I went with a couple of other Repair fellows who were already members. It felt like I was the new kid in school. I didn't know where anything was, so I was glad that I had a few friendly faces there to show me everything. The Y gym had everything I was looking for and even more.

The Bedford Stuyvesant YMCA is located at 1121 Bedford Avenue

Everyone at the Y was very nice and welcoming. I could hear conversations about so many things happening in the neighborhood, from sports, to events, the weather ,and even politics. I realized I could get a good recap of what was going on in the neighborhood and the world by just going to the YMCA for an hour or two. After that day I told my other co-workers that I was thinking of being a member at the YMCA. So I worked out at the Y for a second time just to make sure.

That second trip really sold me on the Y. The people at the sign in desk recognized me, even asking about my day and if I was still thinking of joining. As I worked out people would just come up to me and start up a conversation about what part of the body I was working out today or how my day was. It was nice to be at a gym where you could feel comfortable enough to start up a conversation with anyone. Bed-Stuy YMCA has been great outlet for my co-workers and I. It's place that I am able to relax and concentrate while feeling connected to a community. I have been going with my co-workers to YMCA almost every day recently and I feel like I am part of that Y family. Being able to meet new people who I might not work with but still feel comfortable to talk to about what is going on in our neighborhood is now an important factor to me to have at my gym. I don't usually see that type of environment in gyms and it is something I will keep in my mind whenever I’m looking for a new place to get my gainzzz.

Azriel is an education justice fellow at Repair The World NYC. You can contact him at [email protected]

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Unexpected Family Connections

I’ve been volunteering at Masbia, a restaurant-style soup kitchen in Flatbush, for eight months. Last month, my parents, aunt, and uncle, who were all born and raised in Brooklyn, came to visit me and volunteer at Masbia with me. My father, Phil, and his sister, Pearl (a fellow Brooklynite) were particularly excited to come Masbia because it is located close to one of their childhood homes.

When my father walked in he said the entire store seemed oddly familiar to him. The layout of the kitchen and the placement of the cash register brought back memories. The Executive Director, Mr. Alex Rapaport, and Head Chef, Mr. Ruben Diaz, were both there that day and my dad was telling them about how he grew up and worked at a restaurant in the area. My dad asked Mr. Rapaport if he knew where Weiss’ Deli was because he had served as a busboy and short order cook there when he was younger. We found out that Masbia is exactly where Weiss’ Deli once was!

What are the odds I would be volunteering every week in a restaurant where my father once worked?

Everyone there was shocked by the situation.

Andrew poses with his parents

While everyone else was chatting Aunt Pearl and myself were talking off to the side. She took me outside and pointed at a beautiful, old synagogue that is across the street one block down from Masbia. She told me when my grandparents, her, and my father lived in Flatbush, they had belonged to it for 25 years. It is where my father had his bar mitzvah, my aunt and uncle met, and the same shul my grandfather would go to for every Shabbat and holiday. How amazing is that?

I have been trying to wrap my head around how absolutely incredible this situation is. What are the odds I would be volunteering at the same physical restaurant location where my dad once worked, and that it would also be a block away from my family’s old shul?

It makes me proud to be able to serve in a community that has such historical significance to my family. Even though I have only lived in Brooklyn for 9 months, it feels like I have been here my whole life because of my family history and the connections I have made through serving in the community. I am proud that I come from a family that hails from Brooklyn from over 50 years ago and hope to continue that tradition with my future family.

Andrew Davidov is a food justice fellow at Repair The World NYC. To contact him, email [email protected]

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Why do we feed the poor our least desirable food?

This past Wednesday, one of my volunteers at a Central Brooklyn food pantry asked me, “Why is that apple so big?”  The reason that the produce at many food pantries is big, small, bow-legged, and pimply is because they receive farm seconds.

          The Ugly Carrot, part of Intermarché’s Inglorious Fruits and                           Vegetables campaign.  Photo Credit: Intermarché

Farm seconds are the produce that our grocery stores don’t want, because it doesn’t meet the highest grades and standards set forth by the USDA.  The distinctions between foods that meet these standards are nearly exclusively cosmetic.  Check out the USDA’s standards and grades  for apples, here.  If you were a farmer, how would you handle your farm seconds, when you send them to the distributor?  Probably not as carefully as the produce that is destined for the perfect produce pyramids at Whole Foods.

I’ve seen hundreds of pounds of produce thrown away at food pantries because it is rotten or moldy, and we can do much better.  We should respect all people and the food that they consume.  At Hazon’s annual Food Conference, this past winter, Alexander Rappaport, founder of Masbia Soup Kitchen Network asked the audience, “why do we feed the poor our least desirable food?”

Sam speaking with Alexander Rapaport at the Hazon Food Conference.  Photo Credit: Hazon

There are two ways of tackling this problem.  One is to figure out how to get higher quality and fresher food to those in poverty.  I’d love to see this happen, but it is more expensive than the next option, which is to de-stigmatize buying farm seconds and other ‘less desirable’ food.

Recently, we have heard of organizations that are working to change the culture in regards these foods and make them more accessible to everyone:

A year and a half ago, Intermarché, a French supermarket chain, decided to put these ‘inglorious fruits and vegetables’ on their shelves for 30% off.

A former executive at Trader Joe’s has launched a grocery store-style non-profit that sells food that is past its sell-by date, but still perfectly safe and healthful to consume.  

Most recently, a business called Hungry Harvest received $100,000 from a venture capitalist on the show Shark Tank.  Hungry Harvest buys farm seconds and sells them in a CSA-style boxes, at reduced prices.

I recently signed up to receive a weekly box of farm seconds from Hungry Harvest, when they expand to New York City.  The produce will taste better than it looks, and I wouldn’t have it any other way.

Sam Sittenfield is the Food Justice Team Leader Fellow at Repair The World NYC, working to educate and recruit volunteers around areas of food justice in Central Brooklyn