The Hasdei Naomi food aid organization started Passover preparation on Wednesday by selling its warehouses which contain leavened products with Israel's Chief Rabbis and offering a free service in Petach Tikvah and Bnei Brak to make pots and pans kosher for the holiday.
Hasdei Naomi, which was founded by Yosef Cohen in 1985, operates a vast Bnei Brak based food aid organization that regularly supports over 3,000 families. It has 3,000 volunteers who collect foodstuffs in 120 locations throughout Israel.
According to Cohen, the aid organization transcends religious differences. Many of its beneficiaries are religious, while in recent years, Cohen explained, many donations have come from secular Shomer Hatzair Kibbutzim.
The organization, which collects over 300 tons of foodstuffs per month, stores the products in giant warehouses. On Passover, however, Jews are forbidden from owning hametz (leavened products). If necessary, a Jew can sell his hametz to a non-Jew for the duration of the holiday.
On Wednesday, Hasdei Naomi sold its warehouses through Chief Rabbis Yona Metzger and Shlomo Amar in Jerusalem. Both Rabbis blessed the organization’s efforts. “I see no better way to give charity than to feed the poor,” said Rabbi Amar.
Hasdei Naomi CEO Cohen was also on hand. He lamented the economic downturn's impact on the organization. “On the one hand, there are now more people who need aid. People have no work, no money and no food. On the other hand donations have decreased as well. We hope we will be able to continue our important work.”
The aid organization is looking for ways to do more, starting with a free service for people to make their pots and pans kosher for Passover. Cooking utensils must be completely sumberged in boiling hot water to be rendered fit for Passover use.
The service will run in Petach Tikvah on Wednesday, between 2:00 and 6:00 p.m. at the corner of Ezra and Nehemiah street and Menachem Begin boulevard. On Thursday, the organization will run the service in Bnei Brak at Zunnefeld street in front of the central synagogue between the hour of 10:00 a.m. and 6:00 p.m.
Next week, the service will be available from Sunday to Tuesday from 10:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. in Bnei Brak on Matityahu street number 23.