“I want to relay to you a very positive experience that I had after receiving your Hanukkah gift box. Because my children are in their twenties and we have plenty of Hanukkah material, I really had no use for the very generous gift that you sent me. I therefore took pictures of everything that was in the box and posted it online for free for anyone who wanted it.
“Within about 30 minutes, I received a text message from someone asking if it was available. I told [her] to meet me at the furniture store that I work at the next day. I took note of the fact that this person lives in the same area that I work in, which is a very non-Jewish area.
“What a lovely young lady showed up to claim the box. She told me the following story: She is the stepmother of a six-year-old boy. She is Jewish, as is the boy’s natural mother, so the boy is Jewish by law. Her husband, the boy’s natural father, is not.
“There is very little Jewish education in the home, because the father is not Jewish and the mother is not religious. She is more of a ‘Mother Earth’ type of person. The little boy is very eager to learn more about his heritage.
“Believe it or not, what excited the stepmother the most was the Oorah guide that was included, which explained the prayers: what they mean and why they are said.
“I invited the stepmother and the little boy to a community Hanukkah dinner this Friday night so the little boy can experience – for the first time – the warmth of a Shabbos dinner along with the explanations about Hanukkah. This would not have been possible without you sending me the Hanukkah gift box.
“Your sending me the gift box and it ending up in the possession of a little boy who desires to learn about his Judaism is clearly no accident. Thanks to Hashem for connecting me with you. Have a wonderful holiday.”
