The third Cantorial Meir Panim Benefit Concert took place at Congregation B'nai Israel on April 8th in Gainesville, Florida. Four cantors, Cantors Victor Beck, president of the Jewish Ministers Cantors Association of America and Canada, Leslie Rimer, Ben Matis and David Katz, along with their accompanist, Daniel Braz, donated their services in order to raise funds for Meir Panim's Children's Meals Project. Although their trip to Gainesville was quite "eventful" (with their flight being cancelled and arriving tired, hungry and exhausted at 4 P.M.), it was well worth their efforts. It is also in great part thanks to the untiring efforts and enthusiasm of Professor Dr. Howard Rothman, that this first ever cantorial concert in Gainesville was a resounding success.

Almost 300 community members were in the audience as were a substantial number of students from the University of Florida. Certainly, one of the highlights was Victor Beck's rendition of "If I Were a Rich Man". Another was Leslie Rimer's updated and hilarious version of A Chazzandel Oyf Shabbes, which tells of the audition of a cantor attended in this case, by a lawyer representing the Mens Club, a CPA representing the congregation and a matron representing the sisterhood. Also enthusiastically received was Ben Matis' version of Mogen Avot and, most emotionally, David Katz's singing of A Yiddishe Mama, during which there were very few dry eyes among the audience. The rendition of the message from Meir Panim's founder, David Zilbershlag, movingly presented by Cantor Beck, was also most inspiring. The memory of that concert will linger on in the memories of those fortunate enough to have been there. Aside from the sheer pleasure that the audience derived from the concert there was the additional pleasure of performing a mitzvah by supporting the good work of Meir Panim.

Led by the general director of its Manpower division, Prof. Shapira, Assuta Medical Centers throughout Israel held two giant campaigns to collect food to distribute to the poor for Passover, and home equipment for the "Hot Winter" project, which provides the elderly with heaters and blankets for the cold winter days.

At a festive, unusual event held at the Tel Aviv Synametek, Assuta employees donated to Power of Giving and Meir Panim their income from a film screening. In addition, General director Shapira announced enthusiastically that Assuta would continue its cooperation with Meir Panim by launching a wide-ranging campaign for the Briefcase for Every Child project in which Assuta employees will donate briefcases and their contents for needy children.

Approximately 6,000 people participated in Passover Seders which were held in 11 Meir Panim branches throughout the country.The meals were dignified and lavish, in keeping with Jewish tradition.

The Seder night meals were held in banquet halls which were rented for that purpose. Catering services provided a dignified and enjoyable menu of dishware and quality serving dishes, and included waiters who treated the diners royally. The meals included the Passover Seder plate and its special symbols, matzahs, wine, Haggadahs, plentiful food and a Seder leader who recounted the Hagaddah stories, led the Passover songs, and created a warm, homey atmosphere.

The second concert in the fund raising campaign for Meir Panim - To Help Feed The Hungry Children In Israel, took place on Thursday, March 25th at Temple Israel in Great Neck. Six world class Cantors donated their talents, time and efforts to entertain what can only be called an enthusiastic audience.

An evening of Simcha and Mitzvah all in one, the concert boasted a headline cast that included Cantor Raffi Frieder, of Temple Israel, Cantor Avi Albrecht of Beth Tfiloh, Maryland, Cantor Ofer Barnoy of Temple Beth Sholom, Roslyn, Cantor Israel Singer of Englewood, N.J., Cantor Farid Dardashti of Beth El Synagogue, New Rochelle, and Cantor Yossi Karavani of Old Westbury Hebrew Congregation. A very beautiful children's choir arranged by Cantor Raffi Frieder, who raised their sweet voices in song in honor of Israel's children, added the extra momentum to the event.

The audience was able to share in the mitzvah of providing needed food for starving children in Israel. Through the enormous efforts of Meir Panim, the dedication of the Cantors and the generosity of the audience, enough monies were raised to guarantee hot nutritious meals for hundreds of children. The founder of Meir Panim, David Zilberschlag, gave an inspiring talk in Hebrew explaining the desperate needs and his vision of a future where all Jews can and will work together for common goals regardless of their levels of observance or background. The Rabbi of Temple Israel, Rabbi Steckler, gave the translation of the speech in English, and the audience was visibly moved. The ensuing enthusiastic applause expressed their heartfelt solidarity for the cause.

The Toys R Us chain, in cooperation with Power of Giving, launched a campaign several days ago in honor of the holiday. Children were asked to visit the chain's stores to donate an old toy for a needy child, after which they would receive a discount certificate to buy a new toy offered in the campaign.

The toy chain employees and Power of Giving volunteers reported that the public wasn't content with merely bringing toys from their homes but they also purchased completely new toys for the needy children. Power of Giving trucks loaded with the terrific toys made their way back and forth to and from the organization's warehouses and the toy stores. The toys will reach the children before the holiday, to light up the Seder night for them.

Dudi Silbershlag, Power of Giving's chairman and founder, mentioned that he was stunned at the Israeli citizen's capacity for giving. "We are astonished and thrilled at its scope each time anew. It is truly without bounds.
"Toys R Us's campaign will run until April 14, 2004.

IIn Meir Panim's twelve branches throughout the country, Kimcha D'Pischa packages of food were distributed for the holiday so the needy would be able to sit down at a proper Seder table and enjoy the seven days of the holiday.

Bezeq employees in the Ezrieli building donated before the holiday food portions and packages worth 40,000 shekels for the needy through Meir Panim. This generous cooperation was made possible due to the company's stance to commercially contribute to the community. In the future, Bezeq promises, cooperation with Meir Panim will continue.

In the framework of cooperation between the IDF military commander base and Power of Giving's branch in Yerucham, an entire battalion of soldiers volunteered at Power of Giving

The Iranian Jewish Federation in the U.S. galvanized to aid Meir Panim. During a visit by Meir Panim's directors to the U.S., Mr. Aaaronian, one of the Federation's officers, gave a check for $20,000 to Mr. Amos Elad for the food kitchen in Jerusalem.

The Federation expressed its support and interest for the network of food kitchens. They are planning to send a delegation of their members shortly to volunteer in Meir Panim's branch in Jerusalem

Towards the upcoming Passover holiday, the Meir Panim network will be hosting 6,000 guests for the Seder night in its eleven branches all over the country. The meals will be plentiful and dignified, in keeping with time-honored tradition.

You can bring light and happiness to the needy this Passover night. A donation of $30 will give a needy individual a lavish Seder night meal held in a banquet hall. This donation covers the cost of the catering and includes disposable dishes, quality food, and waiters, and the different parts of the meal including the Seder plate, matzahs, wine, a Haggadah, bountiful food and a Seder leader who will conduct the Seder, sing the holiday songs, and create a warm, friendly atmosphere.
Cost per person - $30
Family of 4 - $120
10 people - $300
100 people - $3,000

If you would like to bring light and happiness to the needy on this special night, click here.

A well-to-do family from Long Island - New York asked Meir Panim if they could celebrate their daughter's bat mitzvah in a way that would teach her the importance of caring for others. After discussing it over with directors of the different Meir Panim branches in Israel, a destitute family from the Ethiopian community was found in Kiryat Malachi who regularly receives meals and support from Meir Panim. The four children in the family were suddenly orphaned from their father four months ago.

The Azulay family (Eli and Ronit) from Long Island came to Israel before Purim to celebrate the joint bat mitzvah of their daughter and the eldest daughter of an Ethiopian family. The joint party was a unique demonstration of unity and ahavat Israel. The hundreds of guests, most of whom were from the Ethiopian community, and included the principal, teachers and students of the religious school in the town, were hosted in the large Meir Panim dining hall in Kiryat Malachi.

The Ethiopian girl and her family were warmly adopted by the guests from abroad, who paid attention to small details such as buying festive clothes for the entire family and organizing a varied program for the evening.Tears fell non-stop from the eyes of the mother, who is still in the year of mourning for her husband. The bat mitzvah orphan was very excited, and couldn't thank the organizers enough for the happy party. Meir Panim's general director, Moshe Levkowitz, reported from the event that the participants could barely suppress their tears of emotion at the occasion.

The "Entertainment Village" toy chain donated 350 costumes to Power of Giving to distribute among needy children in the country. The toy chain's executive director, Avi Katz, appeared in a program broadcast Purim eve on Channel One TV about Meir Panim. He announced that he is interested in taking a more active role in helping the needy, and plans to work as a volunteer in Power of Giving to bring light to the children on the holiday. The toy chain, he said, would continue its cooperation with the organization to help needy children by contributing toys.