Jewish U.S. troops to get gefilte fish and matzot for an Iraq Pesach

Some 600 Passover kits will be shipped to Jewish soldiers serving in United States military units in Iraq, Afghanistan and the Persian Gulf next week.

Some of the kits will be delivered to Jewish sailors stationed on U.S. naval vessels in the Persian Gulf.

Each of the kits contains a package of regular Matzos, a package of chocolate-coated matzos, a large jar of gefilte fish, macaroons, a box of candy, a yarmulke, a Passover Haggadah and a booklet explaining the essence and traditions of Passover.

The kits were prepared, and will be delivered, by the JCC - the continental umbrella organization for the Jewish Community Center Movement - a U.S. government agency accredited to serve the religious and social needs of Jewish military personnel, their families, and patients in VA hospitals.

The kits are designed to enable Jewish servicemen and women deployed on U.S. ships and in remote areas of the world to have "a taste of Pesach" when the challenges of life in combat prevent attendance at family or communal services.

The Passover kits will be delivered along with special kosher for Passover combat rations that the U.S. military delivers to its Jewish soldiers.