Sharing Purim with Our Children in National Service

Almost 700 post-High Schoolers in Efrat are serving in the Israel Defense Forces, National Service, or attending a post-high school program (like Hesder Yeshiva, Mechina, Yeshiva Gevoha, Midrasha, etc.). It could be your child or your neighbor, but each of us surely knows many young people who are serving our country today.

Most of these young people are away from home, and many ffffaaarrr away from home. Some are on a wind swept hilltop with no name. Some are in cities far away from family and friends. My hometown of Efrat is thinking of all of them, especially as the wonderful family holiday of Purim rolls around.

Thanks to the efforts of the Efrat Community Center, all these young people will receive a holiday care package from Efrat. The package will include goodies that can be shared with friends in the same dorm room or Army tent. The package means to say, "We love you and appreciate that you are giving of yourself to benefit your nation."

Preschoolers will draw pictures to include, and school children of Efrat will wrap the packages. The Community Center needs YOU to participate in this project and donate what you can for the costs of the packages, including the food and shipping. Be part of this mitzvah of giving mishloach manot (food packages) from one friend to another. You can contact the Matnas of Efrat 9932936, or email efrat.matnas@gmail.com . The director of this project is Ayelet Avrahami. She'll be very thrilled to have your participation.

Watch Ayelet speaking about this terrific project in English at http://voices-magazine.com/voices-videos.php?id=103 and in Hebrew at http://voices-magazine.com/voices-videos.php?id=104 .