Penn students are trying to make the lives of Jewish American soldiers who have been summoned to Afghanistan a little brighter.
With the Jewish Festival of Lights right around the corner, students took matters into their own hands last night. Instead of studying or relaxing, dozens gathered to make their contribution to improve the holiday season for some of those overseas.
In "Operation: Menorahs for Freedom," Penn students put together Hanukkah packages that will be sent to American Jewish Army personnel, who are involved in the conflict in Afghanistan.
"This is important for the students here," said Rabbi Levi Haskelevich of the Lubavich House, one of the event's sponsors. "It is important for us to do this so that we better appreciate what these soldiers are doing for us."
The students put together roughly 100 packages in assembly-line fashion at the Zeta Beta Tau fraternity house. The packages contained menorahs, candles, Hanukkah information packets and personal messages from the student volunteers.
It was these messages that many of the volunteers said touched them the most.
"Giving time and giving money is one thing, but giving the soldiers something that comes with a message in your own handwriting is that much more meaningful," said Andrew Domont, an Engineering and Wharton junior.
While the Hanukkah supplies sent to the soldiers do have practical and religious importance, those involved admitted that the nature of their act was mostly symbolic.
"Hanukkah is a time of freedom over oppression," Haskelevich said. "The lesson we learn from the increasing lights of the Hanukkah candles is that we should not be satisfied today with what we have done yesterday and should continue for freedom."
Turnout for the event exceeded expectations, as the program was put together in only a few days. Although the event was not widely publicized, more than 30 students came to devote themselves to help those Jewish Americans in Afghanistan feel the warmth of the holiday.
"I think that it is important that the soldiers who are serving our country and protecting our future freedoms get a chance to experience this holiday that we take for granted and that relates so directly to having a good time, while they are doing something that is probably unpleasant," Domont said.
This project is also taking place at the University of Delaware and the University of Maryland. The Penn branch of the project was coordinated by the Lubavich House in conjunction with ZBT and the Jewish Heritage Program.
"This event is part of the fraternity's efforts to become more involved and diversified on Penn's campus," said ZBT treasurer Seth Cohen, a Wharton sophomore.
