Tables of guests came from from different walks of life but on Sunday night they shared something in common: the annual Temple Emanu-El Thanksgiving dinner. The guests were from shelters and senior centers.

“It is so welcoming and everyone is so kind and it makes you feel like you are a family,” Larry Barnes said.

What You Need To Know

  • More than 200 guests attended Temple Emanu-El's Thanksgiving dinner for the community Sunday

  • The guests came from senior centers and shelters 

  • Organizers said the event is meant to help people connect with others and prevent loneliness during the holidays 

Barnes lives on the Upper East Side and said he misses his immediate family. All of them have passed away.

“I am lonely, but being around such a large amount of people helps you endure your loneliness,” Barnes said.

The temple said there were more than 200 dinner guests and 100 volunteers handing out the Thanksgiving essentials.

Lauren Hamaker-Kaplan said she appreciates the feeling she gets from attending the celebration each year.

“It’s the ambiance, the people here, the whole auditorium is beautiful and the food is delicious,” Hamaker-Kaplan said.

She loved it so much she packed leftovers. For the last ten years, Susan Kaufman has showed up to volunteer.

“What do I get out of it? We just love helping the community. That’s what’s really important,” Kaufman said.

Rabbi Amy Ehrlich has taken part for more than 20 years and said it’s more than just the nourishment of a meal.

“Bringing people together makes a tremendous difference in their life, especially when they would have no one to share it with,” Ehrlich said.

That’ something that Barnes can relate to.

“Being here helps me feel alive, amazing,” Barnes said.

Temple Emanu-El’s Tikkun Olam committee put on the event. Tikkun Olam is the concept in Judaism that refers to improving and repairing the world with acts of service.