Donna Berman is the Bomb, uh, well…I mean she’s cool
Donna Berman writes this to the Courant:
In response to the June 12 In Our Towns news brief about the mysterious package found in Bushnell Park, which led to an evacuation [”Package In Park Checks Out OK”], it’s important that the community understands what really happened.
On Saturdays and Sundays, an organization called Food Not Bombs cooks and serves hot vegan meals to the hungry and homeless in Bushnell Park. These dedicated volunteers, most of them young, have been doing this work for the past 13 years in Hartford.
The box that was found was empty, open, and originally contained food. The philosophy of this group is summed up well by its name. Members believe that the answer to our societal problems is caring for and nourishing people, not expending energy and resources on death and destruction. It is sadly ironic that a box that had the words “Food Not Bombs” on it was interpreted as a possible threat, when in fact the opposite was true.
The box was a remnant of acts of kindness offered over the weekend. It represented the kind of safety that comes not from war, but from working, sometimes one person at a time, for peace.
Rabbi Donna Berman
Executive Director
Charter Oak Cultural Center
Hartford