Children look forward to Purim all year, but for the elderly, Purim can be lonely and discouraging. Many receive few, if any, guests and the edible gifts are often off limits due to dietary restrictions.

The seniors needed a Purim v’nahafoch hu! Ready to turn things around, Bnos Agudath Israel of America and Bnos Bikur Cholim (BBC) joined forces with their annual Mishloach Manos Campaign.

It started on Rosh Chodesh Adar when girls from 18 NY/NJ high schools packed up sugar-free hamantaschen and chocolate. Later, they delivered the senior-friendly goodies and Purim cheer to 32 local nursing homes.

For the seniors, it was pure joy to spend time with their enthusiastic and bubbly guests. Plus, receiving mishloach manos brought back warm memories of times gone by.

New for this year was an exciting collaboration with Bnos One on One, which matches middle school girls with high school “big sisters.” Thanks to a grant from the Elie Wiesel Holocaust Survivors Initiative, BBC connected Bnos One on One partners with survivors for personal visits. For Purim, Bnos One on One pairs gave out mishloach manos packages to their survivor friends, dispelling some of their loneliness. It was a poignant reminder of the need to remember and perpetuate Holocaust history.

The mishloach manos campaign grows each year. Mrs. Chana Baila Hass, national director of Bnos, noted that many additional high schools participated this Purim. In fact, the initial order of 3,000 hamantaschen had to be upped to 4,500!

“We were literally swamped with phone calls from schools that wanted to join,” said Mrs. Hass. “The girls’ ruach is palpable. After Purim we get phone calls from nursing homes asking us if we can please bring the girls back again. And our Bnosers come away with the satisfaction of knowing they made a difference in someone’s life.”

A special thank you goes to all the participating schools and the Agudist Benevolent Society, which sponsors BBC. Kudos to our girls who turned Purim “mi’yagon l’simcha,” from sorrow to gladness, for the elderly members of our community.

“Fun-filled activities in a Torah environment have always been the hallmark of Bnos,” said Mrs. Hass. “This program is solid proof that chessed and good times go together.”

To get involved in BBC or Bnos One on One, call Bnos at 212 797 9000 ext. 330 or e-mail [email protected].

(YWN World Headquarters – NYC)