Purim is coming!
Join us for our Purim festivities:

Purim Carnival, Sunday, March 5
Shushan Boys Purim Shpiel, Monday, March 6*

*RSVP is requested

See below for all the details!

Shushan Boys Purim Shpiel will be an evening of fun for all ages!
Please RSVP for the Hamentashen Happy Hour.
Above, CKYA staff members Mat Sherman and Madeline Sherman
rehearsing for Shushan Boys.

Click on the picture below for a Shushan Boys teaser!

The four mitzvot of Purim

Mishloach Manot – Gifts of treats

On Purim we treat our friends with at least two food items so they can partake in another mitzvot Seudat Purim – the Festive Purim Feast.
 
Megillat Esther – Listening to the Megillah (The Scroll of Esther)

Ancient history? Not for us. The Purim saga is something we must experience for ourselves. How? By hearing the reading of the Megillah (The Scroll of Esther, which relates the story of the Purim events). Our Megillah reading will be part of our Shushan Boys Purim Shpiel.

Matanot L’evyonim - Gifts to the less fortunate

Tzedakah is synonymous with being Jewish. And we don't need a special occasion to give tzedakah or help out those less fortunate. Nevertheless, Purim is a special time when we should give help to at least two people or organizations in need. This year Congregation Kehillah is collecting money to support Leket Israel as well as Jews in Ukraine.
Leket Israel

Leket Israel, the National Food Bank, is the leading food rescue organization in Israel. Leket Israel's sole focus is rescuing healthy, surplus food and delivering it to those in need through partner nonprofit organizations.
All contributions to the Leket Israel Matanot L'evyonim Campaign will be used to collect surplus fresh food that is delivered on Purim and Shushan Purim to fulfill the Mitzvah.
 
For every dollar received, Leket Israel rescues and delivers seven pounds of high-quality food for hungry Israelis of all backgrounds.
 
"There are large numbers of very poor, hungry adults and children in Israel," says Rabbi Sharfman. "This organization does incredible work, very efficiently. They also work in the field harvesting corners! Seven pounds of food for $1 is impressive."
 
Please send your check for $18 (or more, if you wish) made payable to Congregation Kehillah and mail it to Congregation Kehillah, 21001 N. Tatum Blvd., Ste. 1630, #439, Phoenix, AZ 85050. You can also use our secure website, https://congregationkehillah.org/product/donation/ and choose General Fund and put in the notes "Leket." We will then send one donation to Leket Israel on behalf of CK.
Supporting Jews of Ukraine

Here is what Rabbi suggests:
 
is mobilizing to respond to the needs of the Jewish community in Ukraine resulting from the Russian invasion. The entire country faces chaos, scarcity, and violence — and the almost 200,000 members of Ukraine’s Jewish community are especially vulnerable. Whenever and wherever there have been threats to Jewish life, the Federation and our partners — the American Jewish Joint Distribution Committee and the Jewish Agency for Israel — are there to provide vital aid and help those in peril relocate out of harm’s way. 100% of all funds donated will go to relief efforts.

Specifically, funds will:
• Provide urgent humanitarian aid and financial assistance to 40,000 poor Jewish elderly and families, delivering food, medicine, winter relief and emergency assistance.
• Dispatch mobile medical units to get supplies where they are needed most.
• Transport people out of the conflict areas.
• Ensure that the home-bound have their needs met through four field offices (Kyiv, Dnipro, Kharkov, and Odessa).
• Bolster security at Jewish institutions including JCCs in Kharkov, Odessa, Dnipro, Kyiv, Zaporozhe, and Lvov.

If you know of anyone who needs assistance in Ukraine or who is looking for information about making aliyah, the Jewish Agency for Israel has opened a toll-free hotline for Ukranian Jews. From Ukraine, the number is 0800504603.
We are also tracking how the current situation may affect the hundreds of thousands of Jews who live in Russia who may be impacted by Israel’s support for Ukraine and who will be subject to the harsh financial consequences of sanctions and a declining economy.

More hamentaschen, please!

We'd never say no to a traditional poppy seed (munn) or prune hamentaschen, but how about a peanut butter blueberry hamentasch? Or how about a cheesy jalapeño version?

You'll find 100 different recipes – yes, 100! – for everything from sweet to savory (plus gluten-free) in this collection from kosher.com.

If you are making your own hamentaschen, we'd love to see a photo of your results! Send your photos to Renee, at info@congregationkehillah.org, so we can include them in an upcoming Connections and on our Facebook page.
We can't wait
to celebrate with you!
Kehillah logo inline bw