New York, NY., March 26, 2021 — As Israel and the Jewish world celebrate Passover, hundreds of volunteers from Jewish National Fund-USA’s MAKOM communities came together to package and deliver Holiday meals to families in need throughout the central Negev.
Every MAKOM community played a role in supporting the Passover effort including the organization’s Educators, Modern Orthodox, Mountain Jews, Druze, Artists, Ba’aley Teshuva, Ethiopian communities, and many others.
JNF-USA MAKOM Liaison and Chief Development Officer, Shosh Mitzman said: “Communities across 150 towns and cities took part in this important effort. This year, the need was greater than in previous years with COVID-19 hitting hundreds of thousands of families with financial struggles.”
MAKOM Communities volunteers packing meals for Passover
A valued Jewish National Fund-USA (JNF-USA) affiliate, MAKOM is a coalition of communities focused on empowering and revitalizing their towns and villages in the Negev and Galilee. They are the largest national organization in Israel that brings together individuals and groups from all sectors of society to share knowledge, collaborate on initiatives, create dialogue amongst diverse populations, and work together to promote society as a whole.
Chair of JNF-USA MAKOM Task Force Beth Banks Cohn said: “Passover is a time when we come together – virtually and in person – to celebrate our freedom. As we approach the coming holiday, MAKOM shows what it does best in bringing communities together to support those who need our help. Thanks to MAKOM’s volunteers, many Israelis who would otherwise go without, will now enjoy a seder meal just like other families throughout the country.”
Israelis are excited to be celebrating the first holiday in over a year together with their families, however, there remain many elderly and impoverished families who are physically or financially struggling to have enough food for a Passover seder. While still adhering to health guidelines, MAKOM volunteers are working to make sure that no member of their community will go without a full seder meal to usher in the holiday.
MAKOM believes that by creating a society of people that initiate, engage, and involve themselves as local leaders, they enhance and strengthen the social fabric of Israel.
Click here to learn more about MAKOM.
