As the holiday of Passover approaches, there are organizations that help the needy prepare for the holiday and provide them with food baskets. This tradition is called Kimcha dePascha (“Pesach flour” in Aramaic).
One of the organizations that have stepped up to help the needy is the religious Zionist Mifalot organization. This week, the organization recruited teenage volunteers who pack the baskets and then help deliver them to the needy.
“We’re conducting a campaign together with all the bodies that deal with charity, out of a desire to help the needy,” explained Mifalot Director Tzvi Tzvibel. “These student volunteers are currently in school and on Sunday and Monday they will take time out of their Pesach vacation to participate.
Tzvibel explained that the idea is not just to help those who need the food but also to teach a lesson to the students about the importance of helping others, particularly at this time of the year.
“I think it’s a very big educational lesson,” said Tzvibel. “You can see the children who work here. They understand how big a mitzvah it is before Passover to help those who need it and to be part of the entire process.”’
The program attracts approximately 150 to 200 volunteers who come on a daily basis and work all day to pack everything and get it ready for delivery.
“Each package has 28 basic products such as oil, matzah, and flour,” said Tzvibel. “We also include potatoes and carrots. All this will go to the families, we hope by next week, so that we can help many people fulfill the mitzvah of the holiday of Passover.”
Mifalot helps out not only during Passover. Before Purim it worked together with Yad Labanim to bring mishlochei manot to bereaved families.
“On Purim we sent mishloach manot to bereaved familes,” said Tzvibel. “15,000 teens volunteered and we distributed to all the bereaved families in Israel. It was an experience on its own. The children wrote about what they felt and I can tell you one story: A man who lost his son 40 years ago said he hasn’t been happy since. The students came to him before Purim, brought him the mishloach manot and danced with him. He said this was the first time in 40 years that he had danced.”