Sderot Solidarity Project
In our effort to show support and solidarity to the communities surrounding Gaza, MatzaMan is urging communities throughout the USA to participate in our Sderot Solidarity Project.
This isn’t the first time that I have been active with a Sderot Solidarity Project. My first job after making Aliyah in the fall of 2006, I worked for Connections Israel, an organization working with schools and shuls Chutz L’Aretz on Israel Solidarity Projects. We sponsored a Bar/Bat Mitzva project for children in Sderot. Gifts, activities and parties. During Operation Cast Lead in December 2008 and January 2009 (when Sderot was under constant missile and rocket attacks) we obtained sponsors for buses to bring children up to Jerusalem for a day of fun activities. So working on a Sderot Solidarity Project is not new.
What is new is working this Sderot Solidarity Project with the Birkat HaPesach Matza Bakery. One of the major hand Shmura matza bakeries in Israel. They moved to Sderot about 10 years ago in an act of solidarity with the Jews in Sderot who were under daily rocket assaults from Gaza.
On October 7, 2023, Sderot was one of the communities invaded by the Hamas terrorists.
MatzaMan has been purchasing Hand Shmura Matza from a number of matza Chevrot which use the Birkat HaPesach bakery. MatzaMan had been a retailer of Healthful Specialty Shmura Matza throughout Israel since 2012. Through the years, we have shipping small quantities of matza to the US, Europe and South Africa.
Last year, the OU added supervision to several brands baked in Sderot. With this addition, we see that an expansion of our marketing efforts to the Communities in the USA is appropriate.
We are reaching out to Kosher Grocers across the USA, offering full cases of Hand Whole Wheat and Hand Whole Spelt matza in various size packages at wholesale pricing.
In addition, we are approaching communities throughout the USA to join us in this Sderot Solidarity Project, using 3-matzot Seder Sets of Hand Shmura Matzot as a tool to reach out to their congregants. Full Cases contain 20 Seder Sets.
In addition, this is also an Achdut-Unity project. I grew up in a family that bought a box of Manishewitz or Streits matza for Passover. It was only when I Jewishly aware and connected with more traditional Jewish families that I discovered Hand Shmura Matza. This is seen as a ‘hiddur’ ‘beautification’ of the mitzvah to eat matza on Seder Night. I recognize that a lot of families might find the Hand Shmura Matza a new experience. We have priced the cost of a set of 3-matzot for Seder Night, even with the shipping cost, to be within the Holiday Budget of most families.
Last year we worked with one congregation that offered the Seder sets to their congregants at twice their cost (matza and shipping) The extra funds covered the cost of the sets that they needed for their community 2nd seder, some extra sets for their Passover food pantry and a contribution to the MatzaMan ma’ot chittim project for families in Israel.
We encourage you to involve your community in this Sderot Solidarity Project.
Go directly to our seder set options
Hillel Levin
The MatzaMan