Rabbi's Remarks: Let's Make a Difference
By Rabbi Mark Bisman, Spiritual Leader, from The Voice, February 2010

     Purim arrives at the end of this month which means that Passover is coming. Passover always falls 29 days after Purim. Among the mitzvot for Purim is the requirement to give on the day of Purim two small “gifts to the poor [Matanot LaEvyonim].” Among the preparations we make for Passover is the collection of “funds for wheat” [Maot Hittim], which is money to help others buy the necessary Passover foods and wine for a Seder. Locally, we have an annual Passover Food Drive and we will continue that effort.

     But this year we are collecting in advance of Purim, our Purim “gifts to the poor” for the Haiti Earthquake Relief Fund. We will direct these funds to the Jewish Coalition for Disaster Relief. The American Jewish Joint Distribution Committee (JDC) manages the Jewish Coalition for Disaster Relief. This coalition consists of organizations such as the Jewish Federations of North America, the Union for Reform Judaism, United Synagogue of Conservative Judaism, Orthodox Union, World ORT, Jewish Council for Public Affairs, American Jewish World Service and American Jewish Committee, to name but a few. Directing funds through this coalition enables the American Jewish community to express its desire to help as Jews.

     One can give online directly through the Jewish Federation of Greater Phoenix at this web page http://www.jewishphoenix.org/page.aspx?id=213131 or we invite you to send donations to Har Zion marked in the memo “Haiti Relief Fund” and we will send a combined gift via our local federation as Har Zion’s collective effort to help the people of Haiti recover from this catastrophic earthquake. Our Early Childhood Center and Religious School students will be dedicating their Tzedakah money for the month of February to this effort. Our USY’ers will also be working for aid to Haiti.

     Let us come together as a congregation so that we can say Har Zion made a difference; the members of Har Zion made a difference by fulfilling a Purim mitzvah at a time of crisis when every little bit helps. As the world focuses on earthquake relief and reconstruction of a devastated and impoverished nation, we can truly feel that we are partners with God in repairing a broken and wounded world, at least a small part of that world.