Fund brings Pesach to Israel

Twelve years ago, Alan Hirsch saw the intense poverty and the inability of ten families in Maaleh Amos and 12 families in Hevron, to pay their Passover expenses.

“The following year there were twice as many and it grew to Gush Etzion,” he said. “The first year or two it was my money, then I was going to people to ask.”

Most years, Hirsch, president of Bnai Israel Matzoh Fund, and his associates, Jerry Pasternak, and his son Ari Hirsch, begin collecting from Rosh Chodesh Adar. This year they started collecting Rosh Chodesh Shvat. “Yontif (the holiday) is either early or late, it’s never on time,” said Hirsch, paraphrasing comedian Jackie Mason. “This year it’s very early.” He said they concentrate on collecting funds on Purim. “It’s a long day—20 hours,” he said. Rabbi Hershel Schachter of Yeshiva University recommends the

Fund in his class in the Young Israel of Midwood. He explains “what good work we do, that we go to places nobody else goes to and that it is a tzedokoh worthy of helping.”

A completely voluntary organization, the Matzoh Fund provides over-the-top kimcha d’pischa, food and funds for Pesach for those struggling financially in Yehuda and Shomron, in Israel. This year, said Hirsch, there have been “crazy price increases on foods. Chickens are up 60%; we spent $15,000 more than last year. From 1 AM to 6 AM I do stuff that has to be done in Israel. I’m usually finished by Purim with purchasing, but this year it lingered on because it was hard to find chickens and meat. Matzoh is up 10% and grape juice 8%. The budget is much higher than before.” He pointed out that requests for assistance are up 10%. Last year, they helped about 1,500 families, but this year they will be helping about 1,650. Last year expenses were $190,000; this year $220,000. “There’s less than two weeks to go,” he said. “We are less than halfway there. We really have to pull from all over.”

The four distribution sites are Kiryat Arba, Itamar, Ebay Hanachal and Beitar Illit. The yishuvim and the chesed organizations come and collect the food from the distribution sites. “Everything is done by volunteers,” Hirsch emphasized. Most of the time, the packages are delivered to the door at night, secretly, with an envelope with a check inside with a note in Hebrew that says “chazak vamatz meachaichem b’america,” “stay strong from your brothers in America.” The yishuvim that draw from the fund include Bat Ayin, Elon Shvut, Chavat Gilaad, Elon Moreh, Maaleh Amos, Maaleh Chever, Maaleh Levona, Nokdim, Shilo, Sussya, Tapuach, Yitzhar, Shvut Rachel, Adiya, Aday Ad, Eli, Karnei Tzur.

Most of the recipients work, he said, but they can’t afford the “crazy costs of Yom Tov.” Some of them are widows, orphans, victims of terror, or are ill. The communities send a brief history of the family so the fund is aware of their status and writes a check for them. “Each is checked out by the rav or representative of the rav of the yishuv before they are put on the list. No other organization helps in this area, plenty help in Yerushalyim, Bnei Brak, Tel Aviv, but in these areas nothing.”

“Seven years ago we started giving out meat besides chicken, grape juice and matza,” he added. “About half the people never had meat on Yom Tov before.”

He said that most of the money comes from America with “a little” coming from Israel. Hirsch spoke in West Hempstead last week; his son Ari Hirsch lives there and helps the organization “a lot.”

“We deal with more than 1,000 families,” explained Yisrael Bramson, the Mancal (director) of Hachnasat Orchim Hevron and a member of the Moaytza Mekomit Kiryat Arba. “And we distribute more than $250,000 in difficult places, the hilltops. He (Hirsch) is a tzadik (a righteous person), he works for the sake of Heaven. He gathers $36, $50, $100, not like he has one big donor. Next week we distribute supermarket coupons, meat, chicken, produce, grape juice, matza, and closed packages of cookies for Pesach. There are people who call up, they wait all year for this. It’s not just the money it’s an issue of the connection, the caring. I am always surprised anew. So much difficulty. Olim from Bnai Menashe from India, from South America. Many widows are without income and are embarrassed to ask for help. (This way) they will have for the Seder. They are given with a gracious hand; 90% of what we give out is from the Matzoh Fund. Alan sacrifices, he neglects his business, working on this even 2 AM. He waits for the morning to deal with all this. Kol hakavod, kol hakavod. He worries about the money--I buy and distribute the food.”

As far as the Bnai Israel Matzoh Fund, Hirsch explained, “We never say no to anybody. ‘Kol dichphin yasay vyaychol’ ‘whoever needs, come and get.’ You want to be yotzay every year. You are supposed to prepare 30 days before the chag. You want to sit at your table and know that you fulfilled that, know that every dollar you give will be used to help a family make Pesach.”

To donate, mail checks to: Matzoh Fund, Congregation Bnai Israel, 3190 Bedford Avenue, Brooklyn, NY 11210. For more information call: 718 377-8016.