The David's Citadel Hotel in Jerusalem, which regularly assists Meir Panim through various projects, distributed to its guests over the course of Sukkot and Simchat Torah explanatory material about the organization. Moreover, in the hotel's synagogue, honors such as aliyot, Hatan Torah and Hatan Bereishit were sold, and all the money collected were transferred to the organization.

We extend our gratitude to Mrs. Sima Rubes, the hotel's rabbi - Rabbi Yossi Lishner, and to Mr. Eli Gibert, all of whom spared no efforts to assist "Meir Panim" to the best of their ability.

Click for David's Citadel Hotel website

A group of prominent businessmen from Los Angeles and their families visiting Israel for the Sukkot holiday came on the second day of Chol Hamoed for a day of volunteering at the Meir Panim Soup Kitchen “restaurant” in Jerusalem.

The volunteers peeled vegetables, assisted in cooking meals and served the needy guests in the Meir Panim Sukkah. Afterwards, the group proceeded to a prayer service at Rachel's Tomb and then at the Tomb of the Patriarchs, accompanied by Meir Panim’s founder and Director-General, Dudi Zilbershlag, who also explained and guided the visitors along their trip.

The group remarked that the day of volunteering, successfully arranged by Duddy Roth, President of Meir Panim-USA and Mira Zeffren, dedicated member of the Board, ranked among the most meaningful experiences of their trip to Israel. In the presence of the volunteers, which included Tzvika and Betty Ryzman and their children, the covering was removed from the plaque acknowledging the Kornwasser family - Betty Ryzman's mother - for her dedication of the Jerusalem facility in memory of her husband Jacob Kornwasser to feed schoolchildren in Jerusalem.

During the morning hours on August 3rd, a colorful summer carnival was held for around 50 cancer children in the Soroka University Medical Center.

The idea was initiated by Yanon Almoshnino, manager of the Be'er Sheva branch of POG, which distributes secondhand supplies to the needy, who looked for a special way to make yet another contribution to his community. This event brought together other organizations - the Life Institute, Chai Lifeline, Soroka University Medical Center, and volunteers from the Ezra youth movement. These organizations joined forces to bring joy to the children and give them a unique summer experience to alleviate the hardships of their daily routine of medical treatment. Due to the progress that has been made in cancer research over the last several years, and with the help of advanced treatment, virtually all cancer children ultimately recover and return to normal life.

The entire event was built upon Be'er Sheva-style volunteerism: "Pirchei Sela" donated flowers, Eileet supplied treats, and the "Educational Challenges and Initiatives" institute donated the art projects.

At the end of the carnival, "Toys R' Us" distributed gifts to all the children who took part in the event.

A new branch of the nationwide "Power Of Giving" network - the 22nd in number - opened this week in the Kiryat-Arba Industrial Park. POG is a nationwide network that collects a variety of secondhand equipment such as furniture, electrical appliances, clothing, toys and books. The items are collected and shipped from the donors' homes by the POG transport service to the POG warehouses scattered throughout the country. Requests for donations are made by telephone: 1-800-360-560. The items undergo a process of cleaning, repair and cataloging, with the help of a devoted team of volunteers, and are then put on display before the needy who come to the warehouses to purchase household items.

The dedication of the new branch was attended by Deputy Mayor Yossi Dayan, who applauded the organization's work in the area. He noted that a significant improvement could be seen in addressing the needs of those in the community who until recently had nowhere to turn for help. He added that the municipal welfare department has benefited tremendously from the organization, whose arm remains outstretched to offer its generous services.

Other speakers included Founder and Director-General of "Meir Panim-POG," Dudi Zilbershleg, his wife, Rivka, and manager of the new branch, Mr. Yaakov Cohen.

The ceremony also included the affixing of a mezuzah on the door to the new branch, the cutting of the tape and removal of the covering from the building. A brief tour was conducted of the branch, and, needless to say, the volunteers lovingly provided warm, home-style food for all the guests.

The community of Murniya, Geneva hosted a giant fair in honor of Meir Panim as part of the European "Jewish Culture Day."

The organization's special relationship with the Jews of this community began with a retired Jewish couple in Geneva - Max and Andrei Ababu - who had heard about Meir Panim. Upon hearing of the widespread economic hardship in Israel and the hunger experienced by many Israeli children, this issue touched their hearts. The couple lives on a limited budget, but nevertheless could not remain idle.

For several months now, they have been waking in the morning at 4 AM and spend several hours baking tasty and attractive cookies. They advertise their product in the local press and at various public forums. In the afternoon, they scurry about selling the product, and all the money received is sent directly to Israel and earmarked for feeding needy children through Meir Panim. Respectable amounts have thus been raised through genuine, heartfelt devotion and hard work.

More and more families in the community gradually joined the effort and ultimately formed the "Swiss Friends of Meir Panim," which does volunteer work for the organization. The fair was held on September 9th in the square of the Jewish nursing home "Lemaronia," and was attended by hundreds of the community's members, a representative of the nursing home, Mr. Joel Goldstein, and his wife, Paula Limonta Goldstein, who serves as President of the Swiss Friends of Meir Panim. Other participants include the nursing home's president and representative of the family who founded the home, Mrs. Maris Nordman, the community's president, Sabina Simkovitch, and Geneva's Chief Rabbi, Rabbi Yitzchak Dayan.

The rabbi of the Jewish nursing home, Rabbi Eli Peretz, organized and enlisted the workers for the fair, who baked, cooked, and arranged singing, dancing and competitive games for the children.

Signs and booths were set up at the fair calling upon the community to assist the organization. The booths sold cakes, pastries, balloons, and Judaica, and even offered blood pressure examinations by expert physicians, with all profits donated to Meir Panim.

Employees of "Klalit" Health Services continue their work on behalf of the needy in Israel. Several days before Rosh Hashanah, numerous cartons filled with food items - one from each clinic in Jerusalem - were sent to be distributed among needy families.

The people who arrived at the distribution centers expressed their heartfelt gratitude and described the particular hardships their face before the holidays. They told how the distribution of these food items alleviate their hardship and allow them to prepare holiday meals with far greater ease, so that they, too, can enjoy their holiday celebration.

An Erev Yom Kippur meal was held in the Haifa branch of Meir Panim and served by the managers and volunteers of the branch, in honor of, and for the speedy recovery of, (former) Environment Minister Mrs. Yehudit Naot, a native of the city.

Meir Panim extends to the minister its heartfelt wishes for a "Gemar Chatima Tova" and many years and good health and happiness.

The "Bnei Jeshurun" community from Pepper-Pike, Ohio arrived in Israel for a several-week tour. One year ago, the daughter of the community's rabbi, Rabbi Stephen Weiss, visited and volunteered in the POG branch in Yerucham and was deeply moved by its activities.

Over the course of the group's stay in Israel during the last month, they made a special visit to this branch, where they met its manager, Yossi Giloni, observed the work performed on behalf of the needy population of the town, and viewed a video presentation about the organization. They then donated money collected from their community.

Hundreds of food packages for the Rosh Hashanah holiday were distributed by means of 11 "Meir Panim" branches located throughout Israel. This year, hundreds of youth and soldiers participated in packaging the food at the central branch in Jerusalem. From there, the packages were delivered the Meir Panim branches and then distributed to hundreds of needy people who were thus able to celebrate the holiday with dignity. Factories, agricultural settlements and commercial companies donated the food products.

In addition to the Rosh Hashanah packages, each month Meir Panim distributes food packages to elderly Holocaust survivors throughout Israel. These packages, which include basic food products and fresh fruit and vegetables, are made possible through the generous donation of the "Holocaust Claims Committee".

The "Tzamtzam" chain of photo-shops has recently joined forces with Meir Panim-POG. The chain's owner, Mr. Sasson Amit, serves as a shining example of the positive results of business-community relations. Mr. Amit volunteers as a member of the organization's administration and devotes many long hours on behalf of the needy.

Charity boxes for the organization were placed in the chain's stores and the POG logo and telephone number now appears on every envelope for film developing.

But even this was not enough for "Tzamtzam." They took all their employees for a day of firsthand exposure to the organization. The workers came to observe and volunteer for Meir Panim-POG, in order for them to sense a deep connection to this project. The store's workers encourage their customers to call the number on the envelopes, get to know the organization and donate money. This cooperation with the "Tzamtzam" chain and Mr. Amit has become a model for other of the organization's projects which work together with companies and organizations from the outside.

Click here for Tzamtzam's website

Philanthropist Meir Melnick, treasurer of the IHF fund in New York, visited Meir Panim's Jerusalem branch to see the organization's work in response to a request for aid submitted to the fund.

Mr. Melnick, who has in the past supported Meir Panim's children meal program in Kiryat-Arba, was deeply moved by the activity he saw in the food center, and even volunteered to serve food to the guests at the restaurant.

A child in Jerusalem who lives with his mother and four brothers sent the following, emotional letter to POG after receiving his new schoolbag:

"There are moments that are worth forgetting
There are moments when one must wait
There are times when one must rejoice
And at times also cry.
If we continue, it will never end
For after all, there is some other time for everything
Three years I waited for mother to buy me a new schoolbag
And every year she says: Next year.
Thank you to the entire staff for the beautiful bag, and now I can begin the year with some fun."

The family of Susan & Michael Fromm, U. S. Chairman of Meir Panim, arrived in Israel - approximately thirty family members in total - for an early celebration of their children's Bar- and Bat-Mitzvah which will formally take place in October.

The Bar Mitzvah boy, Jacob Fromm, as well as his sister, Casey Fromm, the Bat Mizvah girl, volunteered at the Meir Panim food center in Jerusalem. They peeled vegetables together with their grandparents, and served the guests with shining faces. It is apparent that their parents' kindness and generosity reflect on the children, and have set them on this path for the rest of their lives.

During the course of their visit, the family visited the Kotel (Western Wall) and held a festive gathering to commemorate this special occasion.

The Fromm family initiated the beautiful "Chanuka-Gelt" (Operation Brown Bag) project earlier this year where schoolchildren in Reading, Pennsylvania donated their Chanuka money to Meir Panim click here, continuing with their visit and assistance at Meir Panim branches, and promising to carry on in this manner, with G-d's help, in full partnership with the organization

The "Ela" organization of employees of the hi-tech company Amodex has joined the effort on behalf of the "Schoolbag for Every Child" project. They solicited many donations which were used to purchase thousands of new schoolbags and school supplies for underprivileged children to use this coming school year.

The schoolbags are distributed in all POG branches based on referrals by the welfare offices and social workers in every region.Amodex employees come to volunteer in several of the distribution centers, the first bring in Jerusalem last Thursday. The smiles (see photos) on the faces of the children receiving their new schoolbags will no doubt remain in the volunteers' memories for many years to come.

Over the course of this week, the employees will also volunteer in Sderot and Tirat Hakarmel. The Asuta Medical Center and Hamashbir department store chain have also helped in supporting and participating in this project. There is very high demand for schoolbags, and thus any donation to this very important cause would be greatly appreciated.

In a program initiated by the World Likud Movement, 1,000 Jewish tourists from France came to give support to the Jewish community in Hebron and the Meir Panim organization, which offers it assistance.

This special delegation, accompanied by Meir Panim personnel, participated in an inspiring flag parade from Gross Square to the Tomb of the Patriarchs.

There, at the Tomb, a festive prayer service was held, accompanied by dancing and the sounding of a shofar. From there the guests traveled in a series of buses to a park in Kiryat-Arba, where they were treated to a performance by the Jerusalem Boys' Choir, conducted by Chanan Avital. They also enjoyed a delicious lunch prepared by the chefs and volunteers of Meir Panim.Speakers at this special event included Meir Panim Founder and Chairman Dudi Zilbershleg, Director Moshe Levkovitz, President of the World Likud Movement, Mr. Jack Cooper, Kiryat-Arba Mayor Zvi Katzover, President of Meir Panim in France, Dr. Saul Levi, and manager of the Meir Panim offices in Paris, Kochba Shenbal.

The speakers expressed their appreciation for the French Jewish community and the World Likud Movement, which have adopted the Meir Panim branch in Hebron and the organization's food project for the children of Kiryat-Arba. They make regular donations to these causes and even visit the sites en masse - habits that even Israelis have yet to adopt.

The delegation then made its way towards the Meir Panim restaurant in Kiryat-Arba which, in an emotional and festive ceremony, was officially named after Dov Cooper z"l, father of World Likud President Jack Cooper.To end this exciting day, the delegation planted olive trees on Gelis Hill.