SPONSORED FEATURE
I BY MICHAEL SIEFF,
CHEV CEO
As I write this column, the Chev, like
most of the community, is winding
down from an exciting and very busy
Pesach. But I’m feeling reflective and
would like to turn your thoughts back
to Purim for just a few minutes.
This fun-filled, crazy festival is synonymous with joy, celebration and fancy
dress. It’s a blast! We party with friends,
feast with family and get nachas from
our miniature Mordechais and Esthers.
Most are familiar with the notion that
despite there being no mention of G-d
anywhere in the Purim story, the miraculous orchestration of events makes His
presence patently obvious. He’s there, but
He’s hidden. It seems to me that similarly, hidden among the festivity and fun of
Purim, is the very serious matter of
tzedakah, of taking care of the poor
among us. It’s there, but it’s sometimes
lost in the laughter.
To be fair, it used to be. It no longer is.
Nowadays, the mitzvah of tzedakah we’re
commanded to fulfil is at the forefront of
our minds, not just on Purim day, but for
the preceding weeks too.
That’s because, over the past several
years, Purim in our city has also become
synonymous with the very essence of the
Chev’s work. The united, positive response
of our community makes me proud to be a
member. That’s you I’m talking about. Even
though the Chev’s fantastic fundraising
team makes the mitzvah of Matanot
l’Evyonim accessible and easy to accomplish
(they literally bring it to your doorstep), the
campaign wouldn’t be successful were it not
for your chesed, your giving nature, and the
wholehearted rea