Maot Chitim

At Rosh Hashanah and Passover each year, Hakafa members join with others throughout the Chicago Jewish community to perform the mitzvah of Maot Chitim by helping to pack and deliver boxes of food and other holiday necessities for  Jewish families in need.

Maot Chitim refers to the custom of gathering wheat to provide the poor with the makings of matzo for Passover. Nearly a century ago, Rabbis set up card tables in front of their synagogues and distributed a few dollars to the poor for holy day meals.

Today, Maot Chitim of Greater Chicago has evolved into a year-round volunteer effort searching for the best and most reasonably priced Kosher products, organizing an army of volunteers, setting up a warehouse, locating recipients through the ARK and other social service agencies, packing the products, coordinating an orderly delivery system, delivering the packages and finally closing up and beginning the plans for the next holiday.

The 2013-14 Packing and Delivery Dates are:
          
          Sunday, March 10, 2013 - Passover Packing Day
                          1:45-2:30 p.m. - Hakafa's Packing Time
          Sunday, March 17, 2013 - Passover Delivery Day
                          9:00-10:30 a.m.
          Sunday, August 18, 2013 - Rosh Hashanah Packing Day
          Sunday, August 25, 2013 - Rosh Hashanah Delivery Day
          Sunday, March 30, 2014 - Passover Packing Day
          Sunday, April 6, 2014 - Passover Delivery Day
          Sunday, September 14, 2014 - Rosh Hashanah Packing Day
          Sunday, September 21, 2014 - Rosh Hashanah Delivery Day

Please contact Hakafa member Carol Anne Been for more information or if you are interested in participating with Hakafa.