Samantha Joseph, Director of the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Center for Faith-Based and Neighborhood Partnerships, recently addressed over 200 national Jewish communal stakeholders. The event, hosted by the Met Council and co-hosted by the UJA Federation of New York and the Jewish Federations of North America (JFNA), focused on the USDA’s role in the White House’s National Strategy to Counter Antisemitism - specifically around securing more kosher food for pantries across America.
The session commenced with remarks from Met Council CEO David G. Greenfield and Alexandra Roth-Khan, Managing Director of the Caring Department at the UJA-Federation of New York. They highlighted the contributions of both organizations to the Jewish community of New York and around the world. Greenfield explained that Met Council has increased its federal advocacy efforts to reflect the growing national need for kosher food at pantries across America.
Rep. Grace Meng (D-New York) spoke and commended Met Council’s work for its profound effect on her constituents in Queens. “They literally provide food for the most vulnerable in our community. I have seen them in Washington, DC at meetings with leadership to make sure we are providing critical funding for nutritional programs,” said Meng.
Jessica Chait, Met Council’s Managing Director of Food Programs, provided an overview of the organization’s research into food insecurity within communities with religious dietary constraints. A critical finding was the scarcity of kosher and halal-certified products within the USDA’s Emergency Food Assistance Program. She also shared Met Council’s advocacy for expanded government access to religiously sensitive food products and broader policy initiatives.
Subsequently, Greenfield introduced Samantha Joseph, who outlined her personal connection to Jewish values and their influence on her work. She also emphasized the importance of President Biden’s comprehensive approach to counter antisemitism and her involvement in developing this strategy. Her conversation with Chait covered the necessity for increased awareness surrounding government food programs in religiously diverse communities. She also elaborated on USDA’s non-food-based programs and their alignment with the national strategy.
Met Council CEO David G. Greenfield underscored the importance of government partnerships, stating, “We deeply appreciate the empowerment we receive from the Biden-Harris administration, which allows us to address the very real needs of food scarcity among observant Jewish communities. Our thanks go out to President Biden, Secretary Tom Vilsack and his administration, Samantha Joseph included, for their dedicated work in shaping the National Strategy to Counter Antisemitism. We look forward to continuing our collaboration.” Just last month, Met Council co-sponsored the first ever Jewish Heritage event at USDA’s headquarters in Washington, DC where CEO Greenfield was a featured speaker.
JFNA’s Domestic Policy Government Affairs Council Co-chair on Human Services, Rochelle Rubin, concluded the session by expressing gratitude to Joseph and all attendees.
Samantha Joseph Applauds Met Council, UJA, JFNA Partnership And Discusses Jewish Influence On Her Work At USDA
