Co m munity
Spirituality
Strangers
Into Friends
The Great Purim Parcel Project brings people of all ages
together for fun and Purim mitzvot.
Jewish Vocational Service, Kosher
conversation and music.
Meals on Wheels, Yad Ezra, Kadima
SHARON LUCKERMAN
Welcome to the 14th annual Great
Shalom Detroit.
Editorial Assistant
Purim Parcel Project on Sunday, March and Though
five days away, the spirit of
4, at the Max M. Fisher Federation
ore than 100 families
Purim, a time of mitzvot and celebra-
Building in Bloomfield Township.
manned the maze of
tion, permeated the event. Freckles the
JEFF, a division of the Agency for
tables piled high with
Clown (a.k.a. Harold Folkoff, 49, of
Jewish. Education, plus the Jewish
boxes of oranges, kosher
Oak Park) greeted the volunteers and
Federation and the Jewish News spon-
(triangular
filled
cookies)
posed for photos with children.
hamantashen
sored the event.
"We bring together people in the
and assorted candy. While some volun-
"This is awesome," said Gail
community who have the ability to
teers filled plates with food, others
Greenberg of Oak Park, the other JEFF
wrapped the attractive Purim parcels in
give, and people who need," said
project coordinator. "We've packed
Judah
Issacs, executive director for
cellophane and ribbon.
over 3,000 parcels in three hours. The
"Here's where we check it, make it community volunteers and their feeling the Federation's Agency for Jewish
and wrap it," said Debbie Rosenberg
Education, flanked by his wife and
of giving is incredible."
two children. "That's the message of
of Farmington Hills, a project coor-
Once the parcels were completed
dinator for Jewish Experiences for
Purim."
and packed in large plastic bags, volun-
His 8-year old daughter, Yona, how-
Families (JEFF). The process of
teers
delivered
them
to
recipients
from
ever, reminded him, "I like dressing up
assembling shalach manot, Purim
a variety of Detroit-area Jewish agen-
parcels, filled several rooms and was
most about Purim."
cies including Jewish Homes for Aged,
accompanied by the festive buzz of
ila
tO
3/09
2001
Top left: Elan Village resident Lorraine
Schoe-nfe 141 is pleased with her Purim
package.
Top right:The Great Purim Parcel
Project brigade makes deliveries at Elan
Village in Southfield.
Above: Ann Burke, who lives at Elan
Village in Southfiek was touched by
the visit and gifts she received during the
Great Purim Parcel Project.