America Eats for Israel is an annual event where kosher restaurants across the US and Canada will donate ten percent of their day’s revenue to feed the hungry in Israel.
The seven-year-old program is the brainchild of high school students from Yeshivat Rambam, a modern Orthodox day school located in Baltimore, MD. The program reaches out to hundreds of restaurants through high school student volunteers across North America. This year, 40 students in 12 states have already recruited close to 100 restaurants to participate in the project.
For the last few months, the students have been meeting weekly as well as spending several hours a day calling restaurants, preparing fliers, delivering posters and collecting money. One fan of the AmericaEats4Israel Facebook page wrote, “Yasher koach to the students who started this!” Another excited fan on the site expressed of the project, “I wouldn’t miss it. Maybe I can attend all three meals—breakfast at one restaurant, lunch at another and dinner at a third.”
According to Rachel Gold, one of the co-heads of America Eats For Israel, the students value the project because of their love and passion towards Israel. “We want to support the country in any way that we can,” said Gold. “Aside from being a worthy cause, the project also serves as a way for students to take on leadership positions in the community.”
With only a month away, students are still hoping to register more restaurants and encourage as many people to eat out on the two chosen dates in order to help raise money for Meir Panim.
On the day of both events, students will be wearing “America Eats for Israel” T shirts and passing out flyers in front of participating restaurants. Some students have even taken on the responsibility of preparing lunch orders to distribute amongst their schools in order to generate more business. “We really value Meir Panim’s mission and how they are helping so many impoverished communities in Israel,” said Gold. “We feel privileged to give back.”
To find a participating restaurant in your city,
visit www.AmericaEatsForIsrael.net.