Totty, I want to go to Shul already! Totty, when will the dancing start? I am so excited.
Purim is a time for joy. Everyone gets excited on the first day of Rosh Chodesh Adar. The children can barely wait for…
…Their Father to take them to Shul.
…Their Mother to serve the delicious meals.
…Their parents to take them to their Teacher and Rebbes for Mishloach Manos.
״טאַטי, ווען גיי מיר אונז שוין צו מיין רבי טראָגן משלוח מנות״…?
״טאַטי, קוק! כ׳האָב באַקומען יעצט פּורים-געלט פון זיידי״…!
פּורים און טאַטי. פּורים און מאַמי
דאָס איז דער יום טוב.
דער טאַטע, די מאַמע, מיט זייערע זיסע לעכטיגע נשמה׳לעך.
אַגאַנץ יאָר חלומ׳ן די קינדער פון דעם ליכטיגן יום טוב, דער פרייליכסטער טאָג אין יאָר.
טאַטי גייט אים נעמען אין שול. ער גייט שטיין נעבן טאַטי און אַריינקוקן אין זיין ״עכטע מגילה״.
טאַטי גייט טרונקען וויין און זיין פרייליך. מ׳גייט טאַנצן. מ׳גייט מאַכן אַ סעודה.
מענטשן גייען קומען, מ׳גייט טאַנצן און שפּרינגען.
אוי ווי פרייליך; אוי ווי גליקליך, אַ מחי׳!
All year they dream and await this joyous Yom Tov. Everything is fun and exciting, the air itself has an atmospheric aura of joy.
The highlight of Purim is the Seudah, where the family comes together and enjoys a festive Yom Tov meal with music and good cheer. The scene is familiar to us all. The father is sitting at the head of the table and bursts out in song while the mother brings in the piping hot “holoptches”. Dancing groups of tzedakah collectors take over the room at random intervals. Wherever you look, you see happy faces.
But, what about those families who are missing an essential element to complete the above scenario. The families who are missing their father or their mother. The hundreds of children who dread the upcoming Yom Tov? Making a seudah at home is practically impossible. Every Yom Tov they shlep to different neighbors, relatives, or friends. The once festive atmosphere is no more; it is instead replaced by unease. Even the joyous Yom Tov of Purim is marred by the inability to host their own family.
Instead of thinking of exciting Purim shtick, they daydream about having a normal family seudah at home, why should they be any different?
This past year, unfortunately, we experienced a tragic world-shattering event. The gaping hole that Covid-19 left in our community will never be refilled. Hundreds of new widows, thousands of new yesomim, the heart-wrenching reality is almost too much to bear.
We cannot return their parents to them, but we CAN, and we MUST restore a modicum of joy in their lives. Especially on a Yom Tov like Purim,it is our responsibility that they again experience some of the old excitement.
If only they would be able to pull off a Seudah at home, what a difference it would make to their families.
Project YedidbyMisaskim has a mission, to bring the joy of Purim to those who need it. They package, distribute, and deliver thousands of fully prepared meals to hundreds of families. Volunteers are busy the whole week before Purim delivering all over the tri-state area. This year, since Shabbos is right after Purim, they will be providing the Shabbos meals as well. In addition to that, 120 new families were r”l added this year alone to the list.
Together with your help, Yedid will deliver 10,000 meals as Mishloach Manos to over 400 families.
A new scene now unfolds, it is the week of Purim, and the widow hears a knock on the door. A volunteer with a huge smile drops off boxes of fully prepared meals, more than enough to make a Purim seudah and the subsequent Shabbos seudahs.
L’YehudimHaysaOrah!
The anxiety turns into relief.
The discomfort into relaxation.
The unhappiness into joy.
Now, they will be able to make a complete Purim seudah like in the past. It looks like there may even be enough to invite over some relatives and actually hostthe seudah for a change.
A seudah that will finally bring a smile to her children’s faces.
This scenario will repeat itself over 400 times, each time different but with the same end result -A rediscovered joy.
Will Project Yedid be able to pull it off?
It is up to YOU!
Help them cover their $500,000 budget, and Project Yedid will illuminate their Yom Tov through YOU!
