AZM BRINGS PURIM JOY
TO OVER 3,000 IN ISRAEL’S SOUTH
22nd Purim Connection: Another Success
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Karen Rubinstein, American Zionist Movement
For more information, please call: 212.318.6100
(New York, NY March 9, 2009) This winter AZM launched its 22nd Purim Connection with a focus on the hard struck communities of southern Israel. Recalling the phrase from the Megillah “For the Jews there was Light, Gladness, Joy and Honor – so may it be for us,” AZM called on Jews to bring light to communities, homes and institutions that were enshrouded in darkness over the past weeks and months.
Despite the difficult economic times AZM Purim Connection was able to bring lots of light and joy to thousands of individuals in Ashkelon, Sderot and other locations in southern Israel. AZM worked closely with the WZO Department for Zionist Activities to identify thousands of children, single parent families, Ethiopian olim and others to receive mishloach manot and a special, ecologically friendly flashlight from the American Zionist Movement. The flashlight, which requires no batteries, will ensure that these homes will always have some light even in the darkest of times.
Baskets of goodies were delivered to four NA’AMAT kindergartens, two AMIT elementary schools in Beersheva, a TALI kindergarten, and the Neve Hanna Youth Village. The almost 200 students of the AMIT Technological High School in AShkelon, which suffered tremendous damage after being hit by a Grad missile less than two weeks ago, were also beneficiaries of the Purim Connection. The AMIT school is a “last chance” school for students who have not met academic requirements or have been expelled from their schools. The students, 30 % of whom are new immigrants, are given the chance to learn skills and get bagrut technology credits so that they can improve their lives.
Goodies will also be distributed to the thousand children in Sderot who will participate in a Purim Festival at the newly opened indoor playground, built by the Jewish National Fund.
For more information about the AZM, its Purim Connection and other programs, please visit the AZM website www.azm.org.
Many of the projects mentioned above are part of the ongoing work of the Zionist Movement in the United States. The American Zionist Movement is a coalition of groups and individuals committed to Zionism: the idea that the Jewish people is one people with a shared history, values and language with Israel at its center. AZM is the American affiliate of the World Zionist Organization, the Zionist Federation in the United States. Its members span the political spectrum from right to left, and includes all of the major streams of Judaism.
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Photo credit for all photos: Dr. Mark Mosk
