Kosher Pantry : Sova Fills Hunger for Observant Jews Who Also Are Poor

The late Hy Altman, former owner of Zucky’s Delicatessen in Santa Monica, knew how important keeping kosher is to observant Jews. And when he saw the growing number of poor among the Jewish elderly, he wondered about how difficult it must be to remain observant if you are poor.

As a result of his concern, Altman and his wife, Zucky, in 1983 launched Sova, the only Westside food pantry that provides kosher groceries to the needy.

Sova, which means to eat and be satisfied in Hebrew, helps more than 1,000 people each week at two locations. While half of Sova’s clientele is Jewish, only about 5% of the clients request kosher food, said Director Or Mars, the only paid employee among a cadre of more than 100 volunteers.

Still, Sova is committed to offering kosher food, even when it is not specifically requested, Mars said. “We have clients who feel that because they are in need of free food that they feel they have to take anything. Here I remind them, ‘You don’t have to give that up.’ ”

A program of the Jewish Community Centers Assn., Sova relies on private donations, grants and funding from the association to provide the equivalent of 13,200 meals each week. The nonprofit organization collects groceries from food drives at Jewish schools, synagogues and social groups to supplement supplies from the Westside Food Bank.

Sova’s kosher clients include recent immigrants from the former Soviet Union, observant Jews out of work as well as elderly residents on fixed incomes.

Volunteers pack bags filled with a four-day supply of matzo, gefilte fish, chicken soup and other staples such as bread and butter. All fresh fruits and vegetables are “naturally” kosher, but manufactured goods must meet specific guidelines. Dairy and meat products must be prepared separately, using different sets of utensils, and all meats, harvested only from animals raised under rigid rabbinic standards, must be butchered according to detailed procedures.

Volunteers identify kosher products by paying close attention to codes such as the letter ‘u’ enclosed in a circle, which stands for Union of Orthodox Jewish Congregations of America. These kosher symbols are stamped on a product in the same fashion as registered copyrights.

On holidays, Sova offers traditional treats such as apples and honey for Rosh Hashanah (the Jewish New Year) and dreidels (spinning tops) and chocolate coins for Hanukkah.

“It was really fun to see people playing dreidel on the sidewalk right outside Sova,” said Mars, 24.

Except for occasional cans of pork and beans and other unusual donations, most groceries handed out to Sova’s clients are either vegetarian or certified kosher. When Sova receives non-kosher donations, those products are not put on the regular shelves. Instead, they are tucked away and carefully distributed to clients who do not observe the laws of kashrut, as they are known in Hebrew.

“We’re not going to turn down donations because they’re not specifically kosher,” Mars said. “We have clients who don’t mind if food is kosher or not and we want to be able to give away as much food as possible.”

Clients come from all walks of life. Igor Sklyar, 31, arrived from Kiev, Ukraine, almost a year ago. In heavily accented English, the former quality control inspector said he can’t find a job. Randy Birchall, also 31, is an electronics technician from Santa Monica who has not worked for two years.

Sova strives to make it easy for the needy to receive food, said Mars, adding that more than 20% of the recipients are homeless and 30% are children.

For the first two visits, clients need only sign their names to receive free groceries. The two bags provided for each individual request are designed to last four days as an emergency food supply until clients become eligible for permanent aid. To receive help in the future, Sova requires written verification of need from a social worker or another communal organization.

Both Sova locations are open Monday and Wednesday, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. On Sunday, Sova Metro at 7563 1/2 Beverly Blvd. is open 10:30 a.m. to noon, and Sova West at 11852 Santa Monica Blvd. is open 10 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. For information, call (213) 857-0036 Ext. 2258.