Purim: Giving Gifts to Those in Need

Every year The Davis Academy celebrates Purim with great ruach. There's no doubt that our Purim celebration is second to none. But there's a part of our Purim celebration that sometimes flies under the radar-- fulfilling the mitzvah of matanot l'evyonim ("giving gifts to those in need").

No holiday celebration at Davis is complete without a tikkun olam/social action component. On Purim our 2nd grade students traditionally host a bake sale where they "sell" baked goods in exchange for cans of food to donate to the Atlanta Community Food Bank. The Food Bank tells us that the canned goods collected as "payment" for the treats weighed in at 1,607 lbs, which will provide 1,339 meals for hungry families! As if this wasn't a strong enough showing, 3rd graders collected several crates of fresh fruit for the Community Assistance Center-- their partner organization.

At the Middle School we collected gifts of books, toys, and costumes that were donated to the Ben Massell Dental Clinic, Grady Hospital, and the National Kidney Foundation. 

Davis' core value of  tzedek ("righteousness") reminds us that we must be mindful of others who are less fortunate even when we are in the midst of our own joyful celebration.


Second grader, Ryan F. summed it up this way, "When I saw the barrels of cans overflowing I smiled because I knew that people without food would now have something to eat."