March 2014
A Very Special Purim
Maor is 12 years old. He attends Meir Panim’s after-school club in Or Akiva. Maor’s mother is ill, and he never knew his father.

He considers the club his family.

Maor has always dreamed of becoming a police officer, and whenever a local group of officers comes to volunteer at the club (as part of their giving back to the community), Maor's enthusiasm knows no bounds.

Message from the President

Dear Friends,


Thank you for joining our efforts to bring happiness to people in need during the Purim holiday. This year was especially successful.

With your help, Meir Panim was able to distribute more than 1,200 mishloach manot packages to disadvantaged children, soldiers, and hospital patients. Deliveries to army bases and hospitals were made by children enrolled in Meir Panim’s after-school youth clubs, enabling them to feel the pride and satisfaction of giving, and not just receiving.

Another 500 mishloach manot packages were handed out to needy individuals in Meir Panim’s free restaurants across Israel. All of Meir Panim’s after-school youth clubs hosted festive Purim celebrations. 250 costumes were distributed to needy children, so that everyone could join in the fun!

Your generous support enhanced their holiday and brought joy to their lives.

For Passover, Meir Panim will distribute prepaid food shopping cards to struggling families, enabling them to buy Passover necessities and fill their pantries, and will deliver food packages to lone soldiers, the homebound and Holocaust survivors. And for those who have nowhere else to go, Meir Panim is matching needy families with hosts for Seder meals throughout Israel. Last year, Meir Panim made almost 3000 matches, and delivered thousands of packages and food cards. With your help, this year we will do even more!

Thank you for being part of the Meir Panim family and continuing to support our vital work. I wish you and your loved ones a very happy Passover.

      Sincerely,

      David Roth, President

Volunteer Spotlight
Every week, caring people are making their trip to Israel even more meaningful by volunteering at Meir Panim. Today we speak with one of them.

MasterChef prepares meal for Meir Panim Free Restaurant
Some of Jerusalem’s most impoverished residents were treated to a gourmet meal at Meir Panim’s Free Restaurant on February 19, prepared by Josh Steele, a finalist on Israel's popular MasterChef television series.

“Even as an idealistic person, I never thought I’d make it onto MasterChef,” said Steele, a Jerusalem resident who is originally from London and has been gaining fame for his creative cooking style and unique kosher cuisine. “And now that I’m on the show, I think it’s important to help out Klal Israel [the Jewish people] and do something meaningful.”

Meir Panim sponsors spectacular Purim performance
Four hundred and fifty children from Kiryat Malachi, in Southern Israel, received a real treat this Purim: a free ticket to a once-in-a-life performance by Israel's renowned Orna Porat Theater for Children and Youth.

Meir Panim Participates in The Feinstein Foundation's Anti-Hunger Campaign
For the 17th consecutive year, The Feinstein Foundation will divide $1 million among anti-hunger agencies nationwide, using it as an incentive to help them raise funds this March and April.

The more donations received by a participating agency from March 1 – April 30, the more of the Feinstein challenge money they will get!

Last year’s challenge raised over $2 billion for more than 1,800 agencies helping the hungry.

Meir Panim is proud to participate in the campaign, and looks to this challenge to significantly increase the aid we can deliver to impoverished men, women and children in Israel.

To learn more about The Feinstein Foundation's efforts to fight hunger worldwide, please visit www.feinsteinfoundation.org.

We would like to thank our dear supporters and partners for their efforts in helping to combat hunger and poverty in Israel!



American Friends of Meir Panim  •  5316 New Utrecht Avenue, Brooklyn, NY 11219
Toll Free: 1.877.736.6283  Fax: 718.437.0999  •  www.meirpanim.org