Poem by Eli Murray Prawer

​Can And Can’t 

I see Matzoh Balls, Schnitzel, Sufganiyot
The food of Jewish history, of my history
Recycling recipes represent a tapestry of community
Unbroken tradition that bleeds into the broken present
A present of inequality, of injustice

Every Friday, I Can
eat Challah during Shabbat, a passed down sweetness that fulfills my spirit and soul
Every Spring, I Can
prepare a full Seder table, and taste the inspirational stories of my ancestors who escaped
enslavement eternities ago
But every day
I see the news, chronicling the crises of today. I feel it deep down
Other members of our community Can’t
Put the food of tradition, The food of community, The food of life
On the table

To think we’ve moved past the days of starvation, of deprivation,
That has plagued the journey of my people, and the people of the world
To hope and pray would be an understatement, that maybe one day we all Can
Sit together, a connected humanity
To do away with the struggles of the past, To embrace community with compassion,
Nourishment of the body and souls
Maybe one day we all                                                                                 Can.

THEME: Historical Hunger

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Eli is a 16-year-old rising high school senior from the Upper West Side who is passionate about fighting food insecurity. Since preschool, Eli has been involved in efforts to address food insecurity, packing thousands of meals, serving on the youth leadership board of God's Love We Deliver, collecting more than 200 pounds of food for City Harvest, raising money for West Side Campaign Against Hunger with a synagogue group, and becoming a finalist in the organization's Writing Against Hunger poetry contest. Beyond food insecurity, Eli is passionate about psychology, Judaism, literature, and music. Eli plays the viola, runs track and field, enjoys reading, and loves spending time outdoors in parks or at the beach.

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