The Kitchen Stories

In this episode, the last one in Season 2 (the dessert episode, you might say), join me (Liana) as I try to get to the bottom of the mysteries behind my family's secret chocolate chip cookie recipe. 

In this episode, Part 2/3 on food security, hear from two clients of Jewish Family Services about their lived experiences of food insecurity, from the circumstances that brought them to rely on the food bank to how we can provide support as a community. 

Please note that this episode includes discussions of chronic illness and gender-based violence.

Food security is so much more than just receiving a bag of food. Part 1 of this season's series on food security is made up of highlights from a panel discussion hosted by Congregation Beth Israel and Jewish Family Services of Vancouver back in January. The panelists provide a big picture introduction to food security in all its complexity; from the lived experience, to global systems, to the spiritual impact of food (in)justice.

Panelists:
Mara Shnay - Chair of the Jewish Family Services Client Advisory Committee
Cindy McMillan - Director of Programs and Partnerships at JFS
Krystine McInnes - CEO at Grown Here Farms
Dr. Eleanor Boyle - Writer and educator on sustainable food systems
Dr. Tammara Soma - Assistant Professor and Food Systems Lab Research Director at Simon Fraser University

Stay tuned for Parts 2 & 3 as we dig deeper into local food insecurity and learn about an exciting development in how it's being addressed. 

Today's menu-- I mean episode-- is entirely plant-based! Listen to our guests reflect on their vegan journeys, adapting traditional Jewish foods to a plant-based diet, and the relationship between veganism and Judaism. 

How can we draw inspiration from Jewish traditions to show up for others? In this episode, Madison Slobin and Becca Schwenk tell us about Shiva Delivers, an initiative they organized in the Spring of 2020 where Jewish community members prepared meals in an effort to stand in solidarity  with the Black community following the murder of George Floyd. 

The resource Becca mentions, "The Characteristics of White Supremacy Culture," from Dismantling Racism: A Workbook for Social Change Groups, by Kenneth Jones and Tema Okun, can be found here: https://www.showingupforracialjustice.org/white-supremacy-culture-characteristics.html

And you can check out Strategem: The Podcast here: https://www.welcometostratagem.com/podcast

Whether we're gathering in person or virtually, a good host makes a world of difference. But what does the host get out of the experience? In this first episode of Season 2, we hear about food-centred gathering traditions and what their hosts love about them, and then we call call up an expert to dig into the psychology behind sharing food. 

The Kitchen Stories Season 2 arrives March 4, 2020. Here's a taste of what you can look forward to with our new host, Liana Glass!