MJDS Students Send Jewish Greetings for Purim Holiday

Milwaukee Jewish Day School students are sharing the joy of the upcoming Jewish holiday of Purim by preparing gift baskets for their neighbors in the Jewish community.

On Thursday morning, the school's lunchroom was a whirlwind of activities, as all 207 of the students packed Hershey's Kisses, licorice, granola bars and triangular-shaped Purim pastries known as hamentaschen into 1,230 gift bags known as mishloach manot. 

Rabbi Moishe Steigmann, who is in his first year as the director of Jewish studies at the school, said he wanted to introduce the activity as a way to share the joy of the Purim season.

"We give it to other people to increase the joy of the holiday, to share that joy with everybody else," Steigmann said.

The bags will be delivered to MJDS, Hillel, the Jewish Community Center, Gan Ami Preschool and senior residents at Chai Point, Deerwood Crossing, Jewish Home and Care, Laurel Oaks, and the Sarah Chudnow Community.

Purim begins Saturday evening and lasts through dusk on Sunday.