How does something so unpretentious as a Simcha Gift bag make such a huge impact? 

For our recipients, Simcha Gifts is an entryway into the local Jewish community. For those who live in a senior facility without access to regular Jewish programming, It enables them to celebrate the holidays. For unaffiliated Jews who have never attended a seder or heard the Shofar, it provides an opportunity to reconnect with their Jewish roots. 

Simcha Gifts is a lifeline to those who feel isolated from the Jewish community. When they get a holiday care package from us, they know that they are not alone and not forgotten.

Of course..Simcha Gifts is not just about our carefully curated holiday packages that bring tremendous joy to their recipients.

Simcha Gifts is about personal connections that lead to profound encounters with Jewish traditions and spirituality. 

Simcha Gifts is about those “chance” (but really providential!) encounters at the store that lead to a Shabbat invitation or a Kosher home cooked meal. 

Simcha Gifts is not just a 4x a year gift giving opportunity. Rather, it is an everyday occurrence, whether it be a personal visit to a grieving family or a welcoming phone call to a recently arrived family member to the KC community.  

Simcha Gifts is about those small moments of kindness that can uplift a heavily burdened soul or a lonely senior. 

In times of grief or illness, these acts of kindness can be a profound source of comfort, embodying the Jewish ethic of 'kol Yisrael arevim zeh bazeh'—all of Israel is responsible for one another.

Jewish tradition underscores the value of 'chesed' (kindness) and 'bikur cholim' (visiting the sick), which are not just acts of charity but are seen as fundamental responsibilities to strengthen communal bonds that are so central to Jewish life. By offering companionship, a listening ear, or practical help like delivering meals or providing transportation, we affirm the individual's place within the community, providing emotional and spiritual sustenance when it's most needed. 

The humble Simcha Gift bag is just the beginning. And we have so much more work to do.