The Jewish Uniformed Services Association of Maryland, in partnership with Jewish War Veterans Post 167, is hosting its annual mishloach manot packing program for Purim on Feb. 15.
Mishloach manot are gifts of food given to friends, family and others on the day of Purim, a Jewish festival commemorating the survival of Jews with singing, dressing in costumes and baking hamantaschen.
“Purim is all about happiness and joy,” said Rabbi Chesky Tenenbaum, the founder and director of JUSA. “So, [JUSA] decided we’ll do a mishloach manot initiative to have volunteers come and pack mishloach manot, gift packages, and bring this joy of Purim to the veteran’s home.”
The packaging will be done at the JUSA House. Tenenbaum said he expects about 30 to 40 volunteers to help with the packaging and delivery of the mishloach manot for 150 to 200 veterans in the Baltimore area and Montgomery County. JUSA expanded this program to Montgomery County this year, and Tenenbaum said his goal is to eventually be able to deliver packages to all of Maryland.
“Just to see the veteran’s face when you come, especially the older veterans, and they say the joy you bring to them; it’s something very special and meaningful,” Tenenbaum said.
Volunteers are often individuals in the community who are friends or family of veterans, Boy Scout troops and even other veterans themselves. Tenenbaum also added that many of the veterans, after receiving a gift basket and learning about the Veteran Circle of Friends project, a JUSA initiative that connects volunteers with Jewish veterans, become involved in the different activities JUSA has to offer.
“Last year, we visited a World War II veteran and ended up staying there for 45 minutes, as the veteran just said stories from World War II [as if] it happened yesterday,” said Tenenbaum.
“One particular story was during the Battle of the Bulge, and he was a medic, and for five days there was no air cover for them to go into the battlefield because of bad weather. They said every day they woke up and they prayed that they’ll survive because there was no air cover. And finally, on the fifth day, the weather let up, and they heard the planes above,” he said.
Tenenbaum said his favorite part of the day is “delivering the mishloach manot to veterans and then just hearing their stories.”
Tenenbaum talked about bringing his children last year to hear the stories from the veterans and to see the impact of the program.
“In World War II, over 550,000 Jews served in the military,” he said. “And at the JUSA Chabad House, we are in the midst of having a Jewish military artifact display with Jewish military artifacts showing the connection of how Jews served in the military, and people should be able to see this part of history.”
Community members who know of veterans in the area can nominate them to receive a mishloach manot package or donate money to support the packing program. Volunteers can help package gift baskets or volunteer to drive and deliver them.
“There was one volunteer that — talking with the volunteer, it came out that one of her relatives was a veteran, and through that relationship, because of this person who came to volunteer, we were able to help this veteran who had come on hard times,” said Tenenbaum.
