High Holiday Food Drive

Shaareing Sustenance, Nourishing Souls

High Holiday Food Drive & Tzedakah

During this sacred season of reflection and renewal, we are called to open our hearts — and our hands. As we prepare ourselves spiritually for the new year, we are also reminded of our responsibility to care for those in need.

This year, our High Holy Day Food Drive carries even greater urgency. Food pantries around the country have lost significant money from governmental support and are struggling to meet the needs of our neighbors — people in our own community who rely on this food to nourish their families.

The Jewish tradition teaches: “Lo alecha ham’lacha ligmor, v’lo atah ben chorin l’hibatel mimena” — “It is not your duty to complete the work, but neither are you free to desist from it.” (Pirkei Avot 2:16)

We may not be able to solve food insecurity alone, but we must not turn away.

How You Can Help

  • Donate Non-Perishable Food

    You’ll receive a paper grocery bag on Erev Rosh Hashanah and Rosh Hashanah morning, or at prayerbook pick-up, with a list of the Food Pantry’s most-needed items. Please return your filled bag to Temple by Yom Kippur morning.

  • Give Financially

    Monetary donations go even further. We will again use monetary donations to benefit the St. Louis Food Bank, The Harvey Kornblum Food Bank, and Mazon, A Jewish Response to Hunger. Donate Now »

  • Volunteer

    Multiple volunteer opportunities will be available during the High Holidays. We have need for volunteers of all ages to collect and box food. Sign up to volunteer on Rosh Hashanah or Yom Kippur »

  • Continue Donating Each Month

    Every month, we will advertise the five most-needed items for the Harvey Kornblum Food Pantry. Drop-off is available in the North Lobby Vestibule any time the building is open.

Let us enter the new year by living our values — with compassion, justice, and generosity. Together, we can help ensure no one in our community goes hungry.

ABOUT

Leanne & Harvey Schneider

2026 Harris Frank Community Service Award Honorees

Harvey and Leanne Schneider have devoted their lives to strengthening both the Jewish and broader St. Louis communities through leadership, service, education, and a deep commitment to bringing people together.

A St. Louis native, Harvey Schneider attended local public schools before earning both his undergraduate business degree and law degree from Washington University in St. Louis. Following graduation, he moved to Washington, D.C., where he served as a trial attorney in the Tax Division of the U.S. Department of Justice. After five years of federal service, he returned to St. Louis and became a partner in private law practice. Over a legal career spanning more than five decades, Harvey represented family-owned businesses and private individuals in a wide range of business matters.

Harvey’s commitment to civic and Jewish communal life has been equally extensive. He has served as President of Congregation Shaare Emeth, the Interfaith Partnership of Greater St. Louis, the Central Agency for Jewish Education, the Little Symphony Concerts Association, and the Forever Young Club at the Missouri Athletic Club. In addition, he dedicated 26 years to public service on the Planning and Zoning Commission of the City of Town and Country, including three years as chairman.

After graduating from Washington University, Leanne Schneider spent a year studying in France. Upon her return to St. Louis, she became deeply involved in international student exchange programs, first with the Experiment in International Living and later with AFS, fostering cross-cultural understanding and lifelong connections among people of different backgrounds. This commitment to building bridges naturally extended to her involvement with the Interfaith Partnership of Greater St. Louis.

Leanne also taught French and Spanish at Brittany Junior High School before she and Harvey started their family. Throughout the years, she has shared her passion for education and community service by tutoring New Americans through the English Language School, serving on Congregation Shaare Emeth’s first Caring Committee, and volunteering as a reader with Ready Readers. Today, she continues to nurture her love of learning and literature through a book club that includes many members of Congregation Shaare Emeth.

Together, Harvey and Leanne have exemplified a lifetime of generosity, service, and leadership. Their dedication to education, interfaith understanding, civic engagement, and Jewish communal life has enriched countless lives throughout St. Louis. They are the proud parents of three children and grandparents of four, and their enduring legacy continues to inspire future generations.