This Purim marks 38 years of the Mishloach Manos Project. To date, HTC has delivered nearly 200,000 Mishloach Manos packages to families across the Chicagoland area and beyond. This community engagement and fundraising project has been managed by veteran staff member, Mrs. Naomi Samber. The project was conceived by past-president, Rabbi Dr. Don Well and amplified on a grand scale by Chancellor Emeritus, Rabbi Dr. Jerold Isenberg. Each year, Mrs. Samber, along with a team of dedicated volunteers, seeks out new foods to include in the packages. Mrs. Samber and others have attended many Kosherfest events on the East Coast, as well as the Fancy Food Show, and the Seets and Snacks Show here in Chicago, bringing some of the newest and latest trends in kosher food to surprise Mishloach Manos recipients. "We often include interesting items, since we are really looking for the newest trends in Kosher food and try to fit that into our themes," says Mrs. Samber. Many items that have been featured in Mishloach Manos are now the new norm in supermarkets across the country. Mrs. Samber recalled that one year HTC included blue corn chips and pickles in a package. At the time that was not common, but today it's standard everywhere. We have people who love the contents of the packages and people who scratch their heads, but all agree that HTC Mishloach Manos is always interesting and fun to open. The Mishloach Manos Program is very simple: For a fee per package, senders can select the recipients they would like to send to. There is also an option to select reciprocity- to be able to automatically give back to people who give to you. It's a beautiful thing and it makes Purim less stressful for those who cannot go out and deliver.
Now, close to forty years later, we have seen the packaging evolve from blue boxes to insulated tote bags. And now, in honor of our Centennial year, we're going to see something different. The Mishloach Manos Project is back again this Purim, and with the help of FYHS parent, Mrs. Michelle Levinson, we will see a 100-year theme in the packaging and food items. "It's truly remarkable to think that after so many years this project is still in full force, and it's because of the dedication of Mrs. Samber, Mrs. Michelle Levinson, Ms. Tziyona Cohen, Mrs. Cheryl Karesh, and everyone involved year after year that this project is a such a success," noted Rabbi Shmuel Schuman, HTC CEO.
Thank you to the many Yeshiva students and community volunteers who have helped pack and deliver for so many years. Special thank you to our community members who support the Yeshiva by participating in this beautiful community project year after year.
To learn more about HTC's Mishloach Manos project and Purim at HTC, listen to a special episode of The Yeshiva Show.