Purim time brings hamantaschen, costumes, megillah readings, and the tradition of mishloach manot — the giving of gifts to one another, and the chance to cheer up someone’s day.
Which is just what happened for Edward Kashdan and his wife, May, this past weekend when 50 members of Congregation Kehilath Jeshurun in Manhattan packaged and donated bags full of Purim fare for residents of the Penn South Program for Seniors.
“It really highlights the holiday. I appreciated it, and my wife appreciated it,” Kashdan says. “We’re blind, in our 80s, and don’t get around much. It was very nice to think of us and remember us on the holidays.”
It was all part of the UJA at KJ program, explains Erica Schwartz, who chairs the project with Sara Shemia. “UJA at KJ helps Kehilath Jeshurun members become involved in chesed in a hands-on way and introduces people to UJA-Federation’s network of agencies,” Schwartz says. “With this Purim event, we could bring bags to people who are homebound.”
Children decorate bags
KJ members gathered at the synagogue February 21st to fill more than 50 bags with hamantaschen of many flavors, apples, potato chips, raisins, and grape juice. Children also decorated the white paper bags and prepared cards.
“Seeing kids and families taking time out of their day on a weekend was a highlight,” Schwartz notes. “I was in a room full of people who thought it was important to do this.”
Several members of the synagogue then visited Penn South on Manhattan’s West Side to distribute the bags to residents of the housing program, which includes social services, education, and enrichment. Penn South is known as a naturally occurring retirement community (NORC) and is administered by the Jewish Association for Services for the Aged, a UJA-Federation beneficiary agency.
For Rochelle Kaplan, another Penn South resident, the bag brought back good memories. “It makes me feel very Jewish,” she says. “It’s a very kind gesture.”