American soldiers in Iraq and Afghanistan often have little to do off duty but grow bored and lonely.

The members of the sisterhood of Temple Shalom in Aberdeen are doing what they can to change that, sending Purim mishloah manot, holiday gift packages, to Jewish soldiers fighting America’s war on terrorism.

About 10 women volunteers, with the help of a handful of children, baked roughly 3,000 hamantaschen on Sunday morning, Jan. 28. The project, now in its third year, was organized with military precision by sisterhood member Barbara Kruger of Old Bridge. Volunteers arrived in shifts, working on an assembly line to mix, roll, cut out, and fill the dough.

“We’re getting people to sponsor the baskets for $18 each,” said sisterhood president Ruth Queen. “Each package will have hamantaschen, hard candies, and $10 phone cards. The phone cards are what they really need.”

The soldiers use the cards to call family and friends back home.

Baskets are being sent overseas to nearly 70 people in the armed forces. The hamantaschen — or “hummies,” as Queen and her volunteers called them — will also be included in the mishloah manot baskets that the temple distributes as a fund-raiser on Purim.

“We sent Hanukka cards to the soldiers too,” Queen said.

Queen made contact with Jewish soldiers through U.S. Army Col. David Diner, whose mother, Zelda, is a member of the sisterhood.

“He contacted his chaplain and we found out how many Jews were in his unit,” said Queen.

Queen said her group is also sending some baskets to soldiers recommended through other organizations. She said she received a note of thanks from a major stationed in Iraq. “It was such a beautiful letter. It’s a wonderful feeling that we’re helping our own. We call it ‘Hummies for Heroes.’”

Zelda Diner recently returned from visiting her son and his family in Charlottesville, Va., when he was home from Afghanistan on a two-week leave in early January.

“They’re very, very appreciative,” Diner said of her son and others who have received the temple’s holiday gifts and greetings. The temple’s nursery school children sent homemade Hanukka cards. Her son, Diner said, “brought a little card home; he thought it was so cute. Sending them little things, it shows support. Wherever he’s been, the Jews are in a minority.… It helps for the congregation to send these packages at the Jewish holidays, to make them feel they’re not forgotten.”

Diner said her son works long hours in Afghanistan, often seven days a week. His free time is spent in the base gym or waking up in the middle of the night to catch a football game on television.

One of Sunday’s bakers was Dorothy Lake of Matawan, who brought along her 11-year-old daughter Freddi. Lake’s first hamantaschen-creating experience, she said, “was a lot of fun.”

She said she enjoyed the camaraderie as the older women volunteers showed her and others of her generation how to bake the triangular Purim pastries. “There were women of all ages there. We’re very fortunate, and we have so much; it was great to show my daughter how to give back to the people who protect us.”