Ve'ahavta (SHORT VERSION)
Love is All We Need
By Khoula Jawwad
I see the homeless every time I go downtown. They fill the streets of my city, yet most days, I walk past them without sparing a glance. And while food banks, clothing drives, and soup kitchens are available to the homeless, what they truly want is for someone to have a conversation with them. For someone to ask them about their lives, and actually care about the answer. For someone to believe that their lives, too, are meaningful.
This is what Ve’ahavta provides.
Ve’ahavta is a Jewish humanitarian organization that tackles poverty. Its name translates to “and you shall love.” Ve’ahavta not only provides necessities to homeless people, but it also works to break down the barriers that exist between us and the homeless. It aims to help restore human dignity and empower marginalized individuals to break the cycle of poverty. Like us, the homeless have a wide range of stories and backgrounds. Some of them endure mental or physical disabilities, while others suffer from addictions or family problems.
Most people—myself included—do not realize this. Even though the homeless I’ve met are some of the most resilient people I know, they still need camaraderie and others to connect with. The only thing more devastating than the homeless’ living conditions is the fact that they have to face them alone.
When I was volunteering with Ve’ahavta, I gave the homeless our handmade sandwiches and coffee and got a chance to speak with them. The experience really opened my eyes to the truth: in reality, we aren’t doing enough for the homeless. We have dehumanized them to the extent that we see them as a burden, or something to cross off our checklist; donating a couple of bucks is our “good deed of the day.”
We forget that the homeless are human beings just like us. It could be any of us out there. Although we think our education or family will sustain us, none of us are immune to fate. So why is it that we never interact with the homeless first hand, never try more than we absolutely have to?
Working with Ve’ahavta allowed me to do more. Shifts in the van last almost five hours, not including the time it takes to make the food. The workers also bring coffee, clothing, sleeping bags, and even food for the homeless’ pets. As I went around downtown in the Ve’ahavta van, distributing these supplies, I became aware of things I had not noticed before. I realized that I take the warmth of my home for granted, while the homeless sleep on top of vents to maintain their body heat. While I turn on my thermostat whenever I feel a draft, the homeless cannot even get up for the fear of losing their warmth.
It breaks my heart to think about how much suffering we overlook because we are desensitized to it. But not all of us are this way. Mukhtar Nalayeh, one of the outreach workers that drove around with us, has been volunteering with Ve’ahavta for only three months. He already knows where most of the homeless people stay. He even keeps in contact with some through text or calling. He remembers what each of them wants, and promises to bring it the next time. I deeply admire him for his strength and patience while helping people who sometimes do not even want to help themselves. People like Mukhtar keep the movement going.
Some of the most insightful conversations I have had are with homeless people. A devout, homeless Jewish man—one of the gentlest people I have ever met—told me to remain hopeful, because only once you lose hope is humanity truly lost. I figured that if someone who has been through so much can have hope, then so can the rest of us.
Ve’ahavta fosters this hope within individuals. While it may not provide the homeless with homes or shelters, the compassion that its members show saves just as many lives, if not more. The outreach workers within this organization still have love for humanity, and are able to bring about change day-by-day, one person at a time. While some may believe that the homeless are not worth it, Ve’ahavta sees people for what they can be—regardless of religion, race or circumstance. We are all humans and we are made with an unbelievable capacity for caring. So yes, we shall love.
