At Meir Panim we are always planning for special moments and opportunities for our patrons. Immediately after Pesach, Israel enters the spring season with a number of special commemorations. The first, Yom Hashoah, commemorates the Holocaust, followed the week after with Yom Hazikaron, Israel’s Memorial Day and Yom Haatzmaut, Israel’s Independence day. Of course, each of these special “yoms” is commemorated at Meir Panim branches throughout the country, and worldwide community.

For Yom Hashoah, members of our Holocaust Survivor Day program were invited to a local school and participated in their assembly, giving the children inspiration and the opportunity to recognize these amazing individuals.

The day before Yom Hazikaron, our Or Akiva branch manager, Ilanit along with a team  of volunteers visited the local military section of the cemetery and laid flowers, a flag and memorial candle, cleaning up each headstone of a fallen soldier from Or Akiva. This meaningful and emotional gesture and act of love is for the families that will visit the cemetery and know that their lost loved ones are remembered and honored by the larger community.

In our Tiberias branch, flags are distributed to all diners on Yom Haatzmaut and the branch itself was decorated with a festive atmosphere.  

It is Meir Panim’s goal to treat all of our patrons with dignity and respect, and in order to help break the cycle of poverty, to give them the strength and confidence they need to move into a better economic situation. We do this work all year round, but especially on days where those in need can bear additional burdens of isolation and poverty, we are especially grateful to provide so much more than a hot meal.