Rock and Wrap It Up! is the brainchild of Syd Mandelbaum, who turned a simple idea, "Waste Not, Want Not," into an inspiring movement.

Rock musicians love to jam, but Syd Mandelbaum just plain loves jam. He doesn't eat it, though he might be tempted. Instead, the energetic activist has concocted a creative recipe for solving world hunger. His organization, Rock and Wrap It Up, takes food left over from backstage parties at rock concerts, and donates it to soup kitchens.

We're not sure if Syd nibbles on the job, but he was happy to talk to us about his waste line of work (that is).

Baba: Welcome to BABAGANEWZ, Syd! What inspired you to fight world hunger?

Syd: My parents are Holocaust survivors. When I was growing up, they described many terrifying experiences in the concentration camps, but what really struck me were their vivid memories of being hungry. As I got older, I felt my calling was to feed the hungry, and that by doing so, I would be honoring my parents' survival.

Baba: When did you get started?

Syd: In 1981, I went with my father to the first gathering of Holocaust survivors in Israel. The first night, we went to the Kotel, and I had an incredible realization. I told my dad, "When I go home, I'm going to change the world."

Baba: How did you turn that vision into a reality?

Syd: Through my work with the Nassau County Human Rights Commission, I started a soup kitchen in Queens, New York. We picked up food in Long Island and drove it to the soup kitchen.

Baba: What gave you the idea to salvage leftovers at rock concerts?

Syd: I discovered that many rock groups demand a wide range of things in their contracts with performance arenas, like wheelchair access or special diets. That got me thinking, 'What if the bands were enlisted to fight hunger?' They could request that the backstage leftovers be saved. A few bands agreed, and we picked up the food and distributed it.

Baba: So, it spread by word of mouth?

Syd: No. MTV did a short story on us in 1993, and as a result, eight bands joined the effort. Today, rock stars such as the Backstreet Boys, Jewel, Billy Joel, and many, many others have signed on. We're also collecting leftovers from movie sets, fashion shows, and business conferences.

Baba: Thanks, Syd. I'm glad this story isn't under wraps!

By the Numbers

90 billion pounds of edible food are thrown away every year in the US.
9 million children are hungry every day in the U.S.
8 million people have been fed by Rock and Wrap It Up!
135 bands donate all food left over from backstage parties.
2.8 million pounds of food have been collected.
1 pound of food makes three plates of food.
1,600 volunteers collect and deliver the food.
40,000 organizations receive food from Rock and Wrap It Up! volunteers for
distribution to the poor.

Mitzvah Mission

Leftover Lunches Can Ease Hunger

One million school lunches are unused every year. Your school can make sure this food will go to those who really need it.
On babaganewz.com we’ll make sure you get the information from Rock and Wrap It Up! that you will need to set up a bal tashchit (avoiding waste) program in your school.
Here’s how the Rock and Wrap It Up! School Program works: Each day, food service staff will wrap up and store the leftover food; once or twice weekly, parent and student volunteers will pick up the food from the cafeteria and deliver it to a local soup kitchen or shelter; the food will be distributed to families in need.
It will take a team to make this happen, but one person can get it started. Why not YOU?