On Christmas Day in 1982, Marcia Eveloff, a member of Congregation Beth Shalom, volunteered at a church to serve hot meals to those in need. This act of kindness and giving inspired Eveloff to encourage her synagogue to participate in this mitzvah. After sharing the thought with Rabbi Morris Margolies, the Conservative synagogue’s senior rabbi at the time, Eveloff gained congregational support and in March 1983, Beth Shalom’s Lechem Committee was established.
Since then, the committee has been serving hot lunches to hundreds of people, and for many of them, it may be their only hot meal of the day. The committee serves meals seven times a year to the Kansas City, Kan., inner-city community at the Wilhelmina Gill Multi-Service Center at 645 Nebraska Avenue. Christmas, if it doesn’t fall on Shabbat, is one of those seven times.
Over the years, Beth Shalom has served over 145,000 hot meals. In addition to Beth Shalom, 51 churches also participate in the program, which makes it possible to provide meals to those in need 365 days a year. Collectively, the program has served over 5 million hot meals.
After 28 years co-chairing the Lechem Committee, Eveloff retired and asked Cindy Daniels and Marcy Rydell to take over. Daniels and Rydell have been involved with the project for many years and have been co-chairs for more than three years.
Daniels learned at a young age, from her mother’s example, the importance of quietly helping others.
“Serving on the Lechem Committee allows me to be able to perform that mitzvah. I believe acts of kindness and helping those in need helps to repair the world,” she said. “It is a remarkable program. Our committee’s mission is to provide people with a free hot meal but we also hope that in some way we are helping to brighten each recipient’s day.”
Rydell agrees. She said she enjoys “volunteering at the soup kitchen because it is an opportunity to do a mitzvah with friends and fellow congregants. It feels good to be appreciated by the recipients of the meals.”
Congregation Beth Shalom has an incredible group of over 100 volunteers who participate on the Lechem Committee. Volunteers of all ages, from Bar/Bat Mitzvah age to retirees, comprise the Lechem Project Committee. And it truly takes many hands to make this project work.
Daniels explained that prior to each serving date, a group of volunteers cooks the meat for the main entrée. On the serving date, another group of volunteers prepares the meal a couple hours before serving lines are formed. Then, the volunteers serve the hot meals to the guests from 11:15 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.
The Lechem project has been funded by donations and has been a success for more than three decades. Daniels attributes its success and longevity to the commitment of its volunteers.
“People feel a connection to this committee. They have a passion for helping those in need, which strengthens not only the greater Kansas City community, but also our congregational community. We work as an incredible team to prepare nourishment for others,” Daniels said.
In July 2013, Marcia Eveloff passed away and in memory of her longtime dedication to Lechem, the Eveloff Family recently established the Marcia Eveloff Lechem Fund.
“A donation to this fund in care of Congregation Beth Shalom is a beautiful way to honor or remember a loved one and to help to repair the world through an act of kindness,” Daniels said.
Donations may be sent to Beth Shalom 14200 Lamar in Overland Park, KS 66223. To find out more about the Lechem Project, contact co-chairs Cindy Daniels at 913-451-5852 or Marcy Rydell at 913-338-3399.
