9th March, 2022
6th Adar II, 5782

Dear Friends,
 
This coming Shabbat will be Shabbat Zachor on which, each year, we as a community turn our attention to those most in need. And this year, the need is great.
 
As we continue to recover from the blows that the pandemic has dealt us all, many are continuing to struggle to make ends meet, and have turned to us for help at this time. Calls have already come into the shul asking that we remember them as we prepare for Pesach this year.
 
And as the relentless horrors of war continue to destabilize and terrorize Ukraine, millions of people—tens and tens of thousands of Jews among them—have been displaced and seen their lives changed in ways they could not have begun to imagine only days ago.
 
In the past funds from our Ma’ot Chittim appeal have been distributed to families and charities, both here and in Israel—providing the means for those in need to prepare for Pesach with dignity and calm.
 
This year, we will continue to support those who rely on us each year—but every extra penny will go to the Jewish communities of Ukraine as they face the unknown. We will be sending monies to established charities that are helping oversee the welfare of refugees in advance of Pesach.

So we ask you, from the bottom of our hearts, to respond with as much generosity as you can muster—knowing that every penny will bring relief to people in dire need, and the more that we collect the more people we can help.
 
May our prayers be received, our charity provide healing, and our collective dreams come to be. As we approach Purim and then Pesach, may the world be blessed with liberty and peace.
 
Yours, as always,

Dov Lerner, Rabbi
Jon Kramer, Appeals Committee Chairman
Harold Biller, President