This year’s Hanukkah Greetings campaign for the Lone Soldier Project received tremendous support and we are grateful to all the organizations and individuals who participated this year.
Here’s a recap:
More than 1,300 Hanukkah greetings were sent from 18 religious schools, three Jewish day schools, nine adult organizations, two universities, 10 youth groups and four preschools, in addition to a number of individual submissions.This included packets of letters from schools and groups throughout Arizona, as well as in Connecticut, Georgia, Illinois, Indiana, Massachusetts, New Jersey and New York.
News about the work of the Lone Soldier Project even reached individuals outside of the U.S., with Dr. Michael Cohen, the volunteer coordinator of the EVJCC’s Lone Soldier Project, receiving the following note for a lone soldier from a gentleman in Poland:
Thank you for defending all of us in the free world.
You are in my heart every day.
What you are doing is not only fighting to free hostages and securing the future of Israel, but you are fighting for our civilization to survive!
I have no words to express our gratitude.
You are my hero!
With respect and admiration !
Be safe!
May G- D Protect you!
From Warsaw Poland
Here in Poland there are Poles who see you as defenders of truth and pray for you and your homeland!
Dr. Cohen also sent 55 knitted hats to lone soldier centers in Israel this fall, which brings the total to 315 hats sent in the past six years. “We were fortunate to have 12 new knitters this year,” he says, “including one from Boston and another from New York City.”
After the Oct. 7 attack on Israel, the Lone Soldier Project launched an emergency campaign to help provide essential resources to Lone Soldier Centers in Israel, which raised more than $4,500.
Additionally, Adam Woldoff raised about $1,500 for the Lone Soldier Centers and collected letters from students in the Beth El Congregation Talmud Torah for his bar mitzvah project and Madalyn Gressel collected letters from her fellow students at Pardes Jewish Day School and guests at her bat mitzvah at Temple Solel. Their b’nei mitzvah projects were highlighted in the Jewish News. Read more here.
