2-9-07

I am proud and excited to share with you a new Mitzvah venture we are embarking on at our Chabad. We have partnered with Colel Chabad, the largest social service organization in Israel, to help our brothers and sisters in the Holy Land. Chabad of Port Washington is “adopting” the city of Netanya where a brand new, sorely needed Food Bank will be established and funded by our community. The Colel Chabad organization and the government of Israel match our contribution so in essence it is a three-way partnership, that will help feed hundreds of families each month.

It works as follows: every month the Chabad of Port Washington Food Bank in Netanya will distribute food crates to poor families in Netanya. Each family will receive 3 crates, each weighing about 50 pounds, containing dry goods, groceries, fresh fruits and vegetables, basic house staples like toilet paper, soaps, laundry detergents etc. The sole criterion to receive the food crates is need - as determined by the local government agency. The wholesale price of each package is $60.00 USD. 20% is covered by each municipality, 50% by Colel Chabad. Our community will contribute 30%.

So think about it: for only $18 a month you can deliver all the groceries and staples needed to a poor family in Israel!

We are all looking for ways to help our people in Israel, so I thought it would be a nice idea if we did this as a community, as many other communities have done. If you would like to get involved in supporting this project please email me at: [email protected]. At this point we are looking to put together a group of sponsors to help get this off the ground, after which we will be reaching out periodically to the entire community to support this very worthwhile cause.

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Please note the information on our communal Shalach Manot baskets which you received in the mail this week, as well as in this week's email. The funds raised through our communal Shalach Manot baskets go towards our new Food Bank in Netanya. This way, everyone who participates in Shalach Manot will have a share in this important mitzvah of helping feed needy people in Israel .

I look forward to your enthusiastic response to both the Food Bank and the communal Shalach Manot, which is a wonderful way to promote feelings of community and family amongst our extended Chabad of Port Washington community.

Shabbat Shalom,

Rabbi Shalom M. Paltiel

	PURIM SHALACH MONOS

WE APOLOGIZE FOR THE ERROR: Due to a computer glitch, three names fell off of the Master Shalach Manot list:

Manny & Mojdeh Malekan
Isaac & Puranokht Neissani
Maurice & Jonathan Mandelbaum

Please add them to your list if you are selecting individual names otherwise they will be included in their respective groups.