IDF mishloach Manos Ideas

amother

Sun, Jan 28 2024, 9:53 pm

TIA!

daredevil

Sun, Jan 28 2024, 11:04 pm

All green?

amother

Tulip

Mon, Jan 29 2024, 12:48 am

I did this one year. I used Israeli products and snacks and included a little card with the מי שברך לצהל.

dankbar

Mon, Jan 29 2024, 1:07 am

Self heating meals. Or the like

Water bottles/canteens/jugs

Water guns

Brown candy pebbles

Bomb like candy, fire hots....

amother

Oxfordblue

Mon, Jan 29 2024, 8:44 am

A can of tuna
A can of beans
A piece of halva
A can of stuffed grape leaves
A bag of peanuts

If you want to be "extra":
A piece of matza
A jar of parve, kosher for Passover chocolate spread.

This is the official IDF kosher for passover (kitniot) manat krav (combat rations).

I gave you the KFP one because that's the one I'm familiar with, but I'm sure someone else can tell you the non-KLP version.

The "extra" part is because the first items are grouped together in a box called Manat Krav, but then when it is meal time the commanders also bring matza and chocolate spread

yachnabobba

Mon, Jan 29 2024, 8:47 am

This is tacky. If your sister had cancer you would never do a chemo themed MM. at least I hope not

Elfrida

Mon, Jan 29 2024, 8:57 am

yachnabobba wrote:

This is tacky. If your sister had cancer you would never do a chemo themed MM. at least I hope not

Why tacky? I think a lot of people will be doing Tzahal themed costumes this year. They are the national heroes.

Raw

Mon, Jan 29 2024, 9:21 am

I’m not doing an IDF theme but all of my MM will definitely be Israeli wines and items. Will support Israel any way I can.

amother

Poppy

Mon, Jan 29 2024, 9:26 am

yachnabobba wrote:

This is tacky. If your sister had cancer you would never do a chemo themed MM. at least I hope not

How is it tacky? It's showing appreciating to the idf and their heroic actions.

Dressing up like hostages would be tacky.

amother

NeonPurple

Mon, Jan 29 2024, 9:26 am

yachnabobba wrote:

This is tacky. If your sister had cancer you would never do a chemo themed MM. at least I hope not

Not tacky. IDF are heroes. Kids like to emulate heroes on purim.

yachnabobba

Mon, Jan 29 2024, 9:30 am

amother Poppy wrote:

How is it tacky? It's showing appreciating to the idf and their heroic actions.

Dressing up like hostages would be tacky.

I still think that every soldier who had to leave their family and fight is a tragedy. An idf soldier isn’t a super hero but rather a rachmanus I look at each beautiful young neshama that could be living with their wives, cuddling their children, living a beautiful mundane, plain life but instead is stuck in Gaza like a tragedy. And like my cousin whose husband is fighting, my friend who gave birth on her own, my friends who asked a Shayla about embryos in deep freeze as a source of such sadness, I can’t imagine using that as fodder for playing dress up on Purim but I guess to each its own.

dankbar

Mon, Jan 29 2024, 9:32 am

I remember year of Gulf War, or after Sept 11, war against ISIS, everyone was dressed as US Army soldiers

amother

Crocus

Mon, Jan 29 2024, 9:32 am

yachnabobba wrote:

This is tacky. If your sister had cancer you would never do a chemo themed MM. at least I hope not

I dont agree. They are our absolute heroes, of course people will be dressing up as them. (Like someone else said, dressing up as hostages would be tacky. Or horrific.)

dankbar

Mon, Jan 29 2024, 9:35 am

Most soldiers enrolled, do so as being patriotic and heroic to their country. It's their mission and purpose to fight for the Jews and the land.

Not talking about the ones that are drafted by force

dankbar

Mon, Jan 29 2024, 9:40 am

On this site it seems like you can't dress as anything, I've seen over the years. Normal Purim costumes that people dress up as, people here have problem with.

I think this year if people dress up as Arab/Muslims that would be insensitive.

For soldiers you can put mms in small backpack/pouches/fanny packs/canteens

Or like the food being sent to them, like tin foils pans.

TR91

Mon, Jan 29 2024, 9:46 am

dankbar wrote:

Most soldiers enrolled, do so as being patriotic and heroic to their country. It's their mission and purpose to fight for the Jews and the land.

Not talking about the ones that are drafted by force

By the way, I don't know if it's true but I heard that only soldiers who agreed to go into Gaza are there. Nobody in that territory now is there by force. Of course that doesn't discount the heroism of those drafted into other areas.

Crookshanks

Mon, Jan 29 2024, 10:28 am

yachnabobba wrote:

Our soldiers are heroes who are proud to defend our country, and die for us if needed. Calling it a tragedy or a rachmanus is making light of their sacrifice, of their choice.
First Sergeant in Reserves Elkana Wiesel, who fell in Gaza, wrote a letter:
"If you are reading these words, something must have happened to me.

*If I was kidnapped, I demand that no deal be made for the release of any terrorist to release me.

Our overwhelming victory is more important than anything, so please continue to work with all your might so that the victory is as overwhelming as possible*.

Maybe I fell in battle. When a soldier falls in battle it is sad, *but I ask you to be happy. Don't be sad when you part with me.

Touch hearts, hold each other's hands and strengthen each other.

We have so much to be proud and happy about. We writing the most significant moments in the history of our nation and the entire world*.

So please, be happy, be optimistic, keep choosing life all the time. Spread love, light and optimism. Look at your loved ones in the whites of their eyes and remind them that everything we go through in this life is worth it and we have something to live for.

Don't stop the power of life for a moment

I was already wounded in operation Tzuk Eitan, but I do not regret that I returned to fight. This is the best decision I ever made," Wiesel wrote.

His widow Galit said: "He insisted on returning after being injured in Tzuk Eitan. He had to pull favors and turn the world upside down in order to be recruited. He insisted and I saw how much this desire burned in him. How important it is. I'm glad he did it, glad he died like that, It's a hero's death.

Before he went in the night before last, it was very painful. Now we ask the whole of Israel, there is no greater honor than this. I wish everyone would take Elkana's words and continue to be happy and believe that it will be good."

Crookshanks

Mon, Jan 29 2024, 10:37 am

Times of Israel Article by Joshua Berman:

As our fallen heroes reflected on the possibility of death, their words teach us about purpose and meaning in life

Perched on the precipice of his tank, the soldier’s gaze fixates on the notepad propped up on his knee. This will be the letter he fervently hopes will remain unread. He lowers the pen to the paper, but forms no words in what is the longest pause of his all-too-short life. What to write?

In a country rich with public mourning rituals for our fallen soldiers, a contemporary custom has emerged, shaped by the digital age. Following coverage of the funeral and the eulogies, a few days into shiva it is now routine for the bereaved families to publish through a news outlet the soldier’s last letter, found in his pocket after his fall. Composed by ordinary young men thrust into extraordinary circumstances these letters not only illuminate the character of our men in uniform but also impart profound lessons about the essence of life.

The letters predictably express love and gratitude to parents and siblings. But what do these young men write about their predicament – about the war thrust upon them by the savages who invaded our land and about their plans and dreams that now will go unfulfilled? Remarkably, and to a one, these letters express the unexpected undercurrent of contentment:

Sgt. Maj. (res.) Ben Zussman, z”l:

“…As you guys know me, there is probably no one more content right now than I am. I am about to fulfill my life’s dream. I am happy and am grateful for the privilege I will have to defend our beautiful land and the people of Israel.”

First Sgt. Itai Yehuda, z”l:

“… It’s also important for me to say to you that I don’t regret for a second that I chose to serve in a combat unit, and that this is best thing I ever did.”

Captain Liron Snir, z”l:

“… I am happy about the life I’ve lived, what I did, what I was, on behalf of my people.”

The key to understanding this apparent paradox lies in Viktor Frankl’s concept of the “will to meaning.” “Only when the emotions work in terms of values,” he wrote, “can the individual feel pure joy.” At the precipice of life and death, these young men tapped into a profound sense of meaning, transcending the immediate challenges they faced.

In her work, The Power of Meaning: Crafting a Life That Matters, Emily Estafani Smith delineates the four building blocks, or “pillars” of meaning: belonging, purpose, storytelling and transcendence. Our soldiers’ last letters vividly embody these pillars.

Belonging is most commonly achieved through strong relationships with friends and family and are a source of meaning. But the letters stress a strong connection to the land and to the people. We live in a tiny land. Here, nearly your entire family and every significant friendship you ever made you lives within a two-hour drive. Israel is a land of belonging.

Purpose is about what we give to others and being other-oriented. And the more we give, the greater the meaning for us. This was foremost on the mind of Sgt. Major (res.) Yossi Hershkowitz, z”l, to his parents as a source of contentment:

“… I’m happy that you brought me up this way, that you showed me a path through life where the question is not “what do I have coming to me,” but how at every moment I can give more for the people and for the country.”

Storytelling, according to Smith means the story we tell ourselves about ourselves. What are the important events that have shaped us and made us who we are? How do we connect the dots of what we have done to bring us to where we are? Consider the letter left by Staff Sgt. Shai Arouss, z”l:

“… The truth is that I was happy to do what I am doing, saving people and protecting the country, because this is what I always wanted to do, even since I was little, and now I have a chance to do it, and to give of myself for the country. So know that all this was not for waste, and was entirely worth it.”

Shai’s life had meaning and therefore contentment, because it was so clear to him how the decisions he had made in life had brought him to this signature, pinnacle moment.

Transcendence for Smith means the feeling that we have risen above the day to day, and participate in something vast and meaningful. A sincerely devout life is lived that way, and some of the letters speak in explicitly religious terms. But over and over the letters speak about what they are doing for “the people”, “the country.” A relative of First Sgt. (res.) Yosef Gatritz, z”l reported the following after his fall:

“Yosef told us that the people at the training camp were from all parts of the country, with widely divergent opinions on everything. They trained together, passed the time together, and sang together. He said he never in his life felt such an intense sense of belonging, and that he feels it a great privilege to be part of something so large.”

In the profound solitude of their contemplative moments, each of these young men assessed the distinct tapestry of their lived experiences. Yet, remarkably, a common thread emerges as each repeatedly emphasizes the profound significance of the four pillars of meaning in shaping their understanding and purpose. Blessed is Israel for the enduring spirit pulsating through the hearts of its soldiers.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Joshua Berman is a professor of Bible at Bar-Ilan University and is the author of Ani Maamin: Biblical Criticism, Historical Truth and the Thirteen Principles of Faith.

Elfrida

Mon, Jan 29 2024, 11:20 am

yachnabobba wrote:

Ask them if they think it is a tragedy.

Of course everyone would like to live normal quiet lives, but these aren't normal, quiet times. Most wives left at home are proud of their husbands.

That includes chareidi families, where the husband/father did not do army service, but volunteered at the start of the war, because they felt it was important to do what they could to support the country. I was talking to a friend on Shabbos. Her husband volunteered at the start of the war, and is now in the army, part of a unit that identifies bodies. Yes, she wishes there was no need. Yes, she hopes he will be able to be home when she gives birth. Yes, she would prefer not to be making Shabbos alone for her family. Does she wish he hadn't gone? No!

ETA I should add, that they discussed it together, and he went to the army with her full agreement and approval - and awareness of what would be involved on her side.

Last edited by Elfrida on Mon, Jan 29 2024, 12:25 pm; edited 1 time in total

amother

NeonPurple

Mon, Jan 29 2024, 11:35 am

When Esther’s life as a queen was an absolute tragedy. She was forced to live in the palace, forced to be married to achashveirosh against her will all while risking her life.

Many little girls count her as their hero and dress up like her.