Approximately 150 children and many of their parents gathered Feb. 29 at Congregation Beth Jacob in Redwood City to make and send mishloach manot (Purim gift baskets) to U.S. soldiers overseas.
The gift packs were sent to soldiers and Marines in remote areas of Afghanistan, and more than $375 was raised to send to Israeli soldiers on the Lebanese border, according to volunteer organizer Nicole Lance.
Seventy-four boxes were filled with packages of food, drinks, toiletries, recreational items and medicines that were collected by the volunteers. Also included were some 100 letters written by the children, thanking the soldiers for their service and offering some words to lift their spirits.
“And we did this with a Jewish voice, so that folks know that our Jewish tradition is what motivates us to do these good deeds,” Lance noted.
After the items were packed up, more than 35 families delivered them to local post offices. In addition, the congregation collected money for an Israeli army unit in northern Israel, to enable the soldiers to buy gifts of mishloach manot.