Submission #22078 by Temple Israel of Natick Men's Club - Natick, MA (733)
I have read the 2021 Torch Awards Program Guidelines.
Yom HaShoah Yellow Candle Program in Covid Lockdown
Yom HaShoah / Yellow Candle
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The overall goal of this program was to develop and implement a process for packing and delivering Yom Hashoah yellow candles. During these challenging Covid-19 times, the members of the Temple Israel of Natick, MA Men's club came up with an innovative process for packing and delivering the yellow candles for this important mitzvah.
Temple Israel of Natick, MA Men's club has been sending out yellow candles to the Temple Israel of Natick membership for many years as part of the Yom Hashoah Remembrance Day. As many as 500 families receive yellow candles along with meaningful prayers and return envelopes for voluntary contributions. Before last year, the process typically involved a number of Men's Club members (as many as a dozen) gathering together in the shul's chapel to assemble mailing boxes, sorting flyers, return envelopes and then packaging these along with the yellow candles into the boxes for mailing. The process also included affixing mailing labels and postage and then arranging the finished boxed according to zip codes to be taken to the post office for mailing. With each passing year, the process has been improved and streamlined so that we have completed assembling the boxes in as little as 1 and half hours.
This past year with the advent of the pandemic, the process had to be modified. A few volunteers prepared all the necessary materials required for assembling the boxes to be mailed to the congregation. The call went out for volunteers to receive packets for assembly in their individual homes. The packets consisted of the yellow candles, boxes to be assembled, flyers, return envelopes and mailing labels. Volunteers assembled the mailing boxes in the comfort of their own homes. Each volunteer received approximately 30 "kits" for assembly. After a weeks time, the finished kits were brought to the shul's parking where they were gathered together according to zip codes and made reading for mailing at the post office.
Also in 2020 we implemented the practice of including a card with the name, age, place of birth and where the child perished. Inserting the name of each child into a box reminded the volunteers and recipients again of the utter horror of the Shoah.
Recognizing the heightened focus on communicating via social media during the pandemic lockdown we posted information about the program and encouraged members to post their lit candles and cards.
This past year with the advent of the pandemic, the process had to be modified. A few volunteers prepared all the necessary materials required for assembling the boxes to be mailed to the congregation. The call went out for volunteers to receive packets for assembly in their individual homes. The packets consisted of the yellow candles, boxes to be assembled, flyers, return envelopes and mailing labels. Volunteers assembled the mailing boxes in the comfort of their own homes. Each volunteer received approximately 30 "kits" for assembly. After a weeks time, the finished kits were brought to the shul's parking where they were gathered together according to zip codes and made reading for mailing at the post office.
Also in 2020 we implemented the practice of including a card with the name, age, place of birth and where the child perished. Inserting the name of each child into a box reminded the volunteers and recipients again of the utter horror of the Shoah.
Recognizing the heightened focus on communicating via social media during the pandemic lockdown we posted information about the program and encouraged members to post their lit candles and cards.
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Original Program
Bronze