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During the last few years
the unit has often found itself at the frontline
of the war against terror. Three members of
the unit were killed in action. "We're
infantry soldiers," Shechter continues,
"so after some of the major attacks we
were sent straight into the terrorist nests,
to places like Ramalla, Shechem and Jenin."
Shechter's unit is also on the
frontlines of chessed, kindness. "We're
a real mixed group," he says, "right
wing, left wing, religious, non-religious.
We've grown close, so we naturally join together
to take action to help our fellow Jews."
In memory of their fallen comrades,
the unit has set up a special fund to help
needy soldiers. They also send shaloch manot
(Purim gifts) to widows and orphans, and have
distributed hundreds of cakes and cookies
to soldiers stationed in Gaza. "It wasn't
just the cake," Shechter points out.
"We were showing our fellow soldiers
that we are there for them; that we care."
This year, the soldiers in Shechter's
unit will volunteer for Yad Ezra VeShulamit's
Pesach campaign, packing boxes and delivering
food to destitute families so that they, too,
can enjoy their holiday.
"We coin the project 'Operation Pesach',"
Shechter says, "because it's being organized
like a regular military operation. Letters
were sent out to all the soldiers in my unit,
and the response was overwhelming. Many of
the men will be coming with their wives and
families so they, too, can experience the
joy of giving."
Yad Ezra Ve'Shulamit
Yad Ezra Ve'Shulamit was founded in 1998,
when Rabbi Ariel Lurie, a well known educator,
started delivering weekly food packages to
several of his impoverished neighbors. Word
soon spread and within a few weeks, every
Thursday he was sending boxes of food to 50
destitute neighborhood families.
2,500 families receive weekly food baskets.
For Passover, they are aiming to help 5,000
families.
Throughout the year, Yad Ezra
Ve'Shulamit distributes close to 200 tons
of food monthly. 2,500 families receive weekly
food baskets, several hundred people eat their
main meal in one of five Yad Ezra Ve'Shulamit
soup kitchens, and over 400 school children
eat the sandwiches that Yad Ezra Ve'Shulamit
distributes daily.
For Passover, however, Yad Ezra Ve'Shulamit's
assistance takes on the dimensions of a major
military operation. "Of all the holidays,
Pesach is the biggest challenge," says
Ariel Lurie. "We're talking about distributing
mind boggling amounts of kosher for Passover
food to over 5,000 destitute families. Without
this food, many of the families would be left
hungry during the holiday.
"It's not just a matter of distributing
the food. First, the food has to be purchased
and then placed in storage before we divide
it among the baskets and distribute it to
the families. Although we're extremely organized,
the distribution alone takes a full week.
"Depending on the size, each family receives
a minimum of 100 pounds of fruits and vegetables,
a package of machine shemura matzot, a bottle
of oil, several pounds of sugar, containers
of salt, tea and coffee, packages of matzah
meal and potato flour, several bottles of
grape juice and wine, and, of course, chicken
and fish.
"We're presently pricing items and building
the budget. In many ways, I feel as if I'm groping
in the dark, placing feelers to see how much,
if at all, we will be able to expand. So many
families need our assistance, but our resources
are limited."
Giving of Ourselves
Alex Minkoff is one of the over 500 volunteers
working for Yad Ezra Ve'Shulamit. Married
with six children and nine grandchildren,
he started volunteering twice a week, packing
baskets and delivering food, after a work
related accident forced him into early retirement.
"Now that I had extra time, I wanted
to devote it to helping others," he explains,
while continuing to work quickly, filling
food baskets. "When I finish work on
Thursday night, I'm exhausted, but elated.
It's a wonderful feeling to be doing for others."
Alex also uses his car to deliver food to
outlying communities. "What impresses
me the most is that Yad Ezra Ve'Shulamit tries
to help those people who have nothing to eat.
I deliver food to one woman who has seven
children. I've been in their home, I've seen
it myself; the cupboards are bare. If it wasn't
for Yad Ezra Ve'Shulamit's weekly food delivery,
they'd have nothing at all; absolutely nothing."
It's hard to imagine that in our day and
age, there are actually people who do not
have enough food to eat - people who go to
bed hungry. But, sadly enough, with the recent
cuts in Israel's social service system, hunger
has become a reality in modern day Israel.
Official sources state that twenty seven percent
of all Israeli children live below the poverty
line. However, according to Dr. Daniel Gotleib,
senior advisor to Bank of Israel Governor
David Klein, the poverty rate is at least
30% higher.
For families struggling to provide their
children with the bare necessities, the added
expense of purchasing matzot, wine and meat
for the Seder is overwhelming. "On Pesach
we celebrate our birth as a free nation,"
Ariel Lurie explains. "Every Jew, whether
rich or poor, should be able to enjoy the
holiday. That, in a nutshell, is what our
kimcha d'Pischa (Passover food) campaign is
all about -- giving our less fortunate brothers
the freedom to have a kosher and happy Passover."
This year, when Lt. Colonel Uri Shechter,
Alex Minkoff and the over 600 other volunteers
for Operation Pesach recite the words, "Anyone
who is hungry, may he come and eat,"
they will have the satisfaction of knowing
that they have helped over 5,000 destitute
families be able to sit down and enjoy their
own Seder. I cannot think of a better way
to prepare for the holiday than through helping
Yad Ezra Ve'Shulamit provide food for needy
Jews.
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