Paramus—One end of Yeshivat Ben Porat Yosef’s cafeteria has been cordoned off the past two weeks for a special chesed project open to the entire community. Project Ezrah, a Bergen County-based non-profit organization that works to help families through financial difficulties, has set up shop here to create 7,000 Mishloach Manot packages, and to organize them into 117 routes for volunteers to deliver to revelers on Purim day.
Tastefully done, beautiful, but very small Mishloach Manot packages are key to the whole endeavor, so that Project Ezrah can make it possible for more than 50% of the price paid for each package to go to Matanos Levyonim, or charity given directly to Project Ezrah clients, on Purim.
Mishloach Manot doesn’t have to be lavish or elaborate to be effective, said the organization’s director of development, Susan Alpert. She added that giving Manatos Levyonim is a true and necessary chesed that is sometimes more difficult to accomplish than Mishloach Manot. To that end, this year’s packages include a delicious kosher brownie and a tin of specialty mints. Halachically, two brachos must be able to be said over the contents of Mishloach Manot, so Project Ezrah’s package fits the bill.
What’s most impressive about Project Ezrah’s Mishloach Manot packaging process is that it has been taken on by the entire community. Alpert said that school groups, scout troops, and families have come to help pack every day and that the community has really taken it on as central to their Purim preparations. “The whole community is part of this. It’s not just that they purchase the Mishloach Manot; the whole community comes and packs them too. Then they say ‘we will help you deliver,’ and they do. It really has become a community endeavor,” Alpert said.
Partnering with Ben Porat Yosef has been a joy and a gift, said Alpert. “Rav Ronen (BPY’s head of school) really wants the students to get involved in community chesed, and so before they come down, the teachers speak to the children about Project Ezrah, about chesed, and about Manatos Levyonim, which is as important as Mishloach Manot,” she said.
“And they have given us this home, which is wonderful. Every day classes come down and help. And that’s good, because it’s a daunting job,” Alpert said.
Sinai Schools students come to help pack every year; they look forward to it. Students from the Moriah School came on a recent Sunday, as well as community members who come every year and help out as a family. Project Ezrah calls the two Sundays preceding Purim “family fun days,” to encourage families to come help out. They get a steady stream of helpers and have met their goals once again this year. In fact, the program hit capacity and sold out long before Purim, and there was even a wait list created for their “Buy a Bunch” offer, which is a box of packages that people can pick up to deliver themselves.
Project Ezrah started packing Mishloach Manot 11 years ago, initially creating 1,000 packages. Now, with seven times the number of packages to compile, they have learned to accept help from the community to get it done. “We couldn’t do it otherwise,” Alpert said.
By Elizabeth Kratz
