Is it Right to Serve and Film the Homeless on Christmas at a Synagogue

Dear Rabbi: (Note: This first appeared on Jewish Values On-Line)

I have a question regarding a charitable endeavor my shul is involved in. For many years, we have hosted homeless guests (from a nearby shelter) for a week in our building. About three years ago, we started taking them in during the week of Christmas. Our homeless guests are non-Jews. Someone from our shul contacts the local media (newspapers, TV) so that they would come out to film what we, a Jewish congregation, are doing for these non-Jewish homeless folks on Christmas. I find it very disturbing when the camera crew not only comes into the building, but also wants to go into the social hall/dining room, where our homeless guests usually congregate, to film in this area.

I was there last week when the news crew came and, at that particular time, our guests were having breakfast in the dining room. One of our volunteers came to brief the guests about this, stating that, in filming guests at the table, only their hands and feet would be shown. Immediately after she left, all of our guests got up and left the room. I felt awful about this and I too left, in disgust. Every evening, we take the guests from the shelter, where they stay with us for dinner and sleep in our building overnight. In the morning, we then take them back to the shelter. But because this was Christmas day, the guests were to stay with us the entire day. This was their only day to have a leisurely breakfast, a time when they did not have to hurry to get ready to be taken back to the shelter. I felt that we spoiled their chance to have a (rare) peaceful morning by bringing in this TV crew.

In a way, I also feel that we are "using" the homeless to gain attention, honor, and (perhaps) donations from the public for our shul. My own feelings are that we brought embarrassment upon our guests, and I believe it is wrong to shame or exploit the poor, especially for our own aggrandizement. It is my opinion that we should go back to hosting the homeless on a week other than that involving the Christmas holiday. This would solve the problem about causing offense or embarrassment to some of our guests, as well as put an end to media coverage of how we, a Jewish organization, shelter the homeless at Christmas. I was wondering what your take on this situation might be.

Answer from Rabbi Goldie Milgram:

Your question raises important issues. The key matter is that of process and the principle of kvod ha-briyot, giving respect to those you are serving. It sounds like, those being served were not invited into the process of deciding whether to be part of a filming opportunity. It is demeaning and depersonalizing to be viewed or treated as the "subject" or "object" of the media, charity or deed. I agree, this was incorrectly undertaken. They might well have agreed to be "poster children", so to speak, for this mitzvah and some might have wanted to be depicted on a broadcast and given a chance to speak. They might have preferred that it be Christmas day, or not Christmas day, one has to ask and engage people in working for their own best interests and not treat them as completely incapable dependents. Just because they are homeless or so poor as to need to be fed does not make them speechless or helpless. Further, sometimes those coming to eat wish to help serve, this is part of their dignity, let it happen for those who can handle the task.