Aleph Ensures Every Jewish US Service Member Receives Seder Items

In the past few weeks, Aleph has been working around the clock to respond to the overwhelming outcry of people in prison who are at significant risk of coronavirus infection due to the small quarters, overcrowding, and shared living environment.

Many in prison are elderly or have underlying conditions that make them especially vulnerable to the disease, yet there is little they can do to efficiently distance themselves from others. Aleph has created an emergency response team to help them protect their health through compassionate release requests and coordinated with leaders in the field about the nation’s overarching approach to combating Covid-19 behind bars.

Aleph is also working continuously to ensure that all holiday supplies are made available in prisons and military bases around the globe and that Seders will still take place without any interruption.

Due to restricting group contact in both prison and military settings, many will be conducting Seders alone this year in their private quarters or in their cells. This has significantly increased the number of Seder plates needed now that they must be provided individually to every single person. Aleph has already shipped over 50 TONS of Kosher for Passover food (100,000 Lbs!) to these individuals in need and orders continue to come in every day.

If not for Aleph, all of these thousands of men, women and children would not have a Passover at all.

The following letter was received by Aleph this week:

Rabbi, Today by mail call, I received the package with the Seder kit. I felt very emotional opening it up, and seeing two boxes of matzos, grape juice, a Seder plate, with little horseradish packets and meal mart eggs and charoses.

I had no idea how I’d be celebrating Pesach this year. Honestly, I haven’t practiced religion much for almost two years, but seeing the box with the Seder kit in it, I didn’t even realize just how much keeping Pesach meant to me until I opened the box. I grew up orthodox and religious, I had no problem throwing all of that away, but seeing the effort made to make sure I would be able to keep Pesach this year, and just seeing Jewish food items in the army environment, I felt so happy and grateful, and emotional too.

I’m so glad I will be able to conduct a 100% kosher Seder this year. I haven’t attended a Seder in almost three years. I didn’t realize just how much doing that meant to me until I saw that box.

Rabbi, I’m just one soldier. The work that you do, it has a huge impact on our lives, I know it definitely has impacted mine. I don’t know how to thank you, but thank you from the bottom of my heart.

Today, my drill sergeant received a letter from someone in the chain of command asking to please write down any soldiers here that need a Seder kit. Since I already have one, I put my name down and wrote Pesach MREs, so hopefully, this will help. Also, the drill sergeant said he will get me in touch with the battalion chaplain tomorrow.

Once again rabbi, thank you for everything you’ve done for me, to make this possible. Also, I received the package with a siddur, Tehillim, Jewish calendar, and a book Gps for the soul. Having these with me have really help strengthen my relationship with God. I haven’t had that in years. I thought I was joining the army to run away, but I guess man plans and God laughs.

Thank you, rabbi. Have a safe, healthy Shabbos, and a happy Pesach.