SERVICE ENCOURAGED ON MITZVAH DAY
Hundreds volunteer at local congregation to help homeless and disadvantaged
At Congregation Emanu El on Sunday morning, hundreds of slices of wheat bread were laid out neatly on long folding tables. In straight, grid-like rows, they formed a sort of phalanx against hunger.
In the open space behind the Houston synagogue’s sanctuary, a line of volunteers slapped slices of Butterball turkey onto every other piece of bread, making sandwiches and slipping them into Ziploc bags. Others tossed peanut butter crackers and cereal bars into brown paper lunch bags. Within a couple of hours, the assembly line had churned out 2,000 lunches for Kids’ Meals, a Meals on Wheels program for Houston’s hungry preschool-aged children.
Sunday was Mitzvah Day at Emanu El, a day for volunteer work to help the homeless and the hungry, the disadvantaged and the overlooked. Hundreds of volunteers worked on projects with two dozen local agencies, from the Houston Food Bank to Undies for Everyone, a nonprofit that helps supply underwear to Houston students in need.
“Mitzvah” is a Hebrew term that has come to mean “charitable act” or “good deed,” and congrega-
tions worldwide — Jewish and those of other faiths — make Mitzvah Day an annual opportunity to volunteer and do good works in their communities.
At Congregation Emanu El, Mitzvah Day started nearly 25 years ago.
Jason Plotkin was a kid in the congregation back then; this year, he was one of two Mitzvah Day coordinators. Even his 14-monthold son was taking part in Mitzvah Day, tagging along for a project at a senior care center.
“The great thing about Mitzvah Day is it brings together the different generations,” Plotkin said. “There are not many opportunities where, as a family, you can come together and do projects. We really pride ourselves on creating those opportunities.”
Cookies for firefighters
Kids chased one another around tables and laughter echoed in the open space behind the synagogue’s sanctuary. Down the hallway, classrooms in the congregation’s Helfman Religious School were filled with students doing volunteer projects.
Kindergartners made bubble-blowing kits for kids at homeless shelters, because bubble-blowing encourages calming deep breaths to reduce stress. First-graders put together bags full of snacks and toiletries for patients at the VA hospital, and secondgraders made cookies for local firefighters.
“I put waaay too many stickers,” said secondgrader Eli, holding up the gift bag he’d decorated for his cookies. In the spaces between stickers, he’d written a note: “Thank you for protecting us. Keep it up.”
Downstairs, a group of women organized piles of donated baby and children’s clothing for the House of Tiny Treasures, part of SEARCH Homeless Services. Someone held up a toddlers’ T-shirt: “Amy, can I put ‘24 months’ in the same pile as 2T?” Volunteer Amy Kapiloff made a quick judgment and went back to sorting.
“I’ve got grandchildren in every size, so I can kind of guess what they are,” she said.
Help for animals, too
Nearby, a team of volunteers made chew toys and blankets for the animals at Houston’s Citizens for Animal Protection shelter. Lea Rabalais tied knots in a piece of fleece to make a soft two-layer blanket.
“They can go into cages for the animals that are coming in,” she said. “Maybe the ones that are hurt and want something a little bit soft, or maybe they just need to cuddle a little.”
Her cousin brought her to Mitzvah Day and showed her around Sunday morning, Rabalais said.
“She told me, ‘They’re doing work for dogs at that table.’ I said, ‘Put me there.’ ”
The congregation’s young professionals delivered hot meals to the homeless downtown through Direct HOPE. The Brotherhood men’s group did carpentry work and repairs for the Emergency Aid Coalition. And a group of volunteers went to the Church of Bethel’s Family to offer legal advice and job-searching tips. About a dozen men and women showed up to hear Barbara Marcus, who owns a staffing agency, talk about crafting a good resume; she and other professionals then offered one-on-one resume advice.
Oren Hayon, the congregation’s senior rabbi, said Mitzvah Day is about building a “culture of service” in the congregation, not just offering an annual day of charity work. “A day of service is always great, but we’re trying to create a more systemic change.”