A Mitzvah to Eat is a pluralistic support network and online resource hub for Jews who need accommodations for Jewish ritual practices due to health conditions, disabilities, trauma, and more. Together, we can build a more connected and compassionate Jewish community that illuminates sparks of holiness within acts of self-preservation.
This Hanukkah we are inviting people to join us in adding their sparks to ours so that we can continue to do this holy work and light up even more lives.
Visit the "our impact" tab ( to find this tab you may need to click on the three dots next to "Story" ) to learn more about all that we have accomplished in the past two years along with some personal testimonials. Then DONATE TODAY to help us continue to grow this work and make it sustainable for the future.
*A Mitzvah to Eat is a fiscally sponsored project of Community Initiatives, a registered tax-exempt 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization with Tax ID # 94-3255070. You will receive an email acknowledgement of your donation from Community Initiatives, and your credit card statement will show that Community Initiatives received the funds, on our behalf.
**We are thankful to be able to offer you the convenience of making an online donation. Please note that our fundraising platform and credit card processing service charge around an 8% fee. Please consider helping us to cover the cost of the fees or, if you prefer, you may make your donation by check. Paying by check incurs no fees.
Checks can be mailed to:
Community Initiatives / A Mitzvah to Eat
1000 Broadway, Suite #480
Oakland, CA 94607
*Please make your check payable to Community Initiatives and include “A Mitzvah to Eat - 6454" on the memo line.
If you would like to have a conversation with our leadership team, please write to us at support@amitzvahtoeat.org.
Highlights
See all activity40Our Impact
In honor of Hanukkah, here is our impact as eight brightly shining candles.
CANDLE 1:
“A Mitzvah to Eat has helped me enormously in feeling that I have a place in the Jewish community even though my disabilities and neurodiversity have made it hard to live a life of Torah and mitzvot as I would like. I also think that without A Mitzvah to Eat, I would not have had the courage to break my fast on Yom Kippur when I was showing symptoms of lithium toxicity and I would have made myself very ill (or worse) as a result.”
-Community member testimonial
CANDLE 2:
In 2022, we compiled a prayer guide with 6 prayers and rituals for those needing to eat on Yom Kippur. We weren’t sure how wide our reach would be.
In 2022, our prayer guide had a reach of 20,000 on social media.
By 2023, our prayer guide reached 85,000 people on social media.
CANDLE 3:
Our work was inspired by our founder’s experience with needing to eat on Yom Kippur and other fast days. That’s the reason for our name. But we very quickly realized that our work was needed in many other ways. So we created resources for those needing accommodations for Sukkot, Chanukah, Purim, Pesach, Shavuot, Shabbat, and Yom Tov, with much more to come!
CANDLE 4:
"The support from A Mitzvah to Eat has been invaluable for me as a conversion candidate to Liberal Judaism. While rabbis in the various progressive movements are completely supportive of having a mitzvah to eat, there is still a lingering sadness about missing essential parts of the Jewish experience, especially on Yom Kippur. It can be easy to get into a mindset where you feel like a "failed Jew" from the get-go! The community around A Mitzvah to Eat has been wonderful in their support, and in helping me to find ways to fill the Jewish holidays with deep spiritual meaning. I have also recommended A Mitzvah to Eat to others in my conversion class. "
-Community member testimonial
CANDLE 5:
Jews needing accommodations for mitzvot sometimes feel disconnected from Judaism and community. We offer opportunities to connect, listen, and support each other. In 2023, we hosted 17 online gatherings. Our gatherings focused on peer support around how we relate to mitzvot, Jewish practice, and Jewish community. Several gatherings incorporated art creation and text study.
CANDLE 6:
It’s one thing to know that
Judaism has an imperative of pikuach nefesh, that life
takes precedence, and another thing to actually learn the original
sources. Together, our community learned Torah, Talmud, and the
Shulchan Aruch (a Jewish legal text) through social media posts and
source sheets on our website. These texts showed that needing to eat
on Yom Kippur or needing to take a life-saving action on Shabbat
have always been part of Jewish tradition.
CANDLE 7:
We are creating a global, pluralistic support network connecting Jews needing accommodations for mitzvot. In our community, Jews of all backgrounds and movements support each other. Our community members live around the world - in the United States, Israel, Canada, Australia, England, France, Ireland, the Netherlands, South Africa, Nigeria, Germany, and more. (Source: Facebook and Instagram demographics).
CANDLE 8:
"Due to many health and
mental health challenges, Torah observance is not a
one-size-fits-all. I am so grateful for A Mitzvah to Eat for
building a community that captures the Torah's essence and brings
texts that support what can feel like a lonely path – trying to
integrate Torah into specific needs. A Mitzvah to Eat reaches out to
anyone who feels a bit on the outside and provides a beautiful
inclusive Torah community.”
-Community member testimonial
