|
|
Chagim are traditionally family time. All over the world, Jews gather together in chamulot (extended families), mostly around a table, sharing the ancestral recipes which have been passed down in the family from generation to generation. Imagine how disappointed a young soldier is when s/he is told that this year they will not be celebrating with their family. That their unit is the one which has been chosen to “close”, to be on duty on this special day. Eyze bassa!! as we say in Israeli slang, what a bummer!! Standing Together www.stogether.org makes every attempt to provide special treats for these soldiers, who are on duty, enabling us to feel secure and protected on these Holy days. Small gestures to let these Chayalim know that we really appreciate what they and the IDF do for us.
|
|
| Annual YomHa’atzmaut Barbecue
Our Current Project
Israel‘s Independence Day is the only National Public Holiday in Israel which is not a Jewish religious holiday. Everything is closed and the whole country is out having picnics and Barbecues. As a sign of our support and encouragement of those chayalim who remain on duty, Standing Together www.stogether.org has an annual Barbecue Celebration for Soldiers on military bases all over the country. Please help us to bring Yom Ha’atzmaut to these soldiers – make this project a tremendous success, by clicking here to donate now.
|
|
Purim 2011
We organized and delivered Mishloach manot packages to over 1000 Chayalim in several bases. The packages were made up by our dedicated volunteers. Standing Together’s big, colorful, printed bags, were available for collection, together with a list of suggested items to put in the packages. Many wonderful local families took advantage of this opportunity to add a few more to their own Mishlochei manot thus teaching their children the importance of hakarat hatov, expression of appreciation to our men and women in uniform. One of the most important features of the MM package was, of course the beautiful pictures and notes of bracha which each family included.
The mother of an officer on duty on Purim, made contact with Standing Together just days before Purim. She asked for help in providing Mishlochei manot to the 50 soldiers staying on base in her son’s unit. Standing Together www.stogether.org mobilized more volunteers and helped to provide the packages need, which were delivered by the family to his base.
Here is a letter of thanks received from the unit.
Dear Standing Together and Supporters world wide,
Thank you so much for the sweet Mishlochei manot which you sent us. You made our hearts feel good and happy.
It is good to know that there are good people like you who think about the soldiers, who find themselves far from home also on the chagim. It was heart-warming, a huge thank you to all of you.
With love and respect,
Orev Givati.
click here to view more pictures
|
|
Pesach 2011
This Pesach (Passover) season, Standing Together www.stogether.org had several initiatives on the go to boost the morale of the Soldiers during this special time.
During the holiday, the entire country of Israel is on vacation and there are thousands of tourists that visit the Holy land. Our soldiers remain hard at work protecting our citizens and visitors. In order for them to realize that we appreciate their efforts, Standing Together called on people all over the world to reach out to the soldiers by sending either a special kosher for Passover Package or Ice cream and chocolate. We had a fabulous response which enabled our volunteers to go out to several army bases during Pesach to relay your good wishes and spread cheer and good will by treating the soldiers to ice cream and chocolate.
There was a very special event when three sisters chose to celebrate the Bat Mitzvas of Emily and Jordana together by hosting a celebration for the soldiers at the Nachal Oz army base, just 500 meters from Gaza. Standing Together and the Davis, Herschman and Hirt families arrived at the base armed with drinks, cakes,
chocolates and ice cream. What a party it was!!! Six to seven hundred
soldiers felt valued and appreciated that day. They helped the girls
to mark their passage into Jewish womanhood with a tremendous act of Chesed and a once-in-a- lifetime, never to be forgotten celebration.
Do you or yours have a Bar/ Bat Mitzva Celebration coming up within the next 12 months? Contact us for fantastic, meaningful ways to enrich the experience at [email protected]
.
|
|
Pesach Food Packages – Twice the Mitzvah
Shortly before Pesach, Standing Together received a call from a Commander asking for help. He had 20 lone soldiers, in difficult financial circumstances, who had no food or supplies with which to celebrate Pesach. Standing Together took the opportunity to support another one of their causes. We went shopping for these packages at a supplier in Sderot, thereby reaffirming the fact that we support them and recognize the difficulties which they face, living under constant threat of rocket attack. The packages were picked up and distributed by the army to the needy soldiers.
Standing Together, www.stogether.org , is always thinking of new ways to thank our soldiers for their dedication to protecting us. This Pesach, with the blessings of both the commander of the local bases and the Rabbanut Tzeva’it, we ran a pilot project in the Gush Etzion.
We offered an opportunity to soldiers on patrol on Seder Night to have a Mini Seder. We developed a Rabbinicaly approved abridged Hagadah for the Chayalim to use. This allowed the soldiers to have a 20 minute break in their patrol and experience warm home hospitality, have a good Yom Tov meal drink the four cups of grape juice and fulfill all of the other mitzvot of the Seder night. These Soldiers would otherwise not have had a Seder this year. Thanks again to all of the wonderful families who took time out of their own Seder to be a part of this pilot project. We hope that you found the experience as enriching as the chayalim did. An amazing opportunity to fulfill the Haggadah’s invitation to all those who have nowhere to celebrate Pesach to come and join in at our Seder.
Next year, Standing Together hopes to expand this project to soldiers serving in other areas of the country.
|
|
|
|
|
|
