A mitzvah refers to a commandment from God, and since God does not command the Jews to do bad things, the word refers to the good deeds that fulfill the commandments. They are individual acts. But often, a collective reminder to carry them out is necessary.
On April 23, the Jewish Federation of Greater Philadelphia offered just such a reminder. Called Community Mitzvah Day, it featured events around the area organized by synagogues, Jewish community centers and other institutions. It was also part of the Federation’s Israel 75 celebrations.
Those who participated talked about how it just…felt…good.
Sharon Whitney helped organize Old York Road Temple Beth-Am’s Mitzvah Fair. It’s an annual event at the Abington synagogue to help its charitable partners. This year, volunteers collected food, socks and other items to donate to organizations like the Jenkintown Food Cupboard and the Jewish Relief Agency.
“It’s an essential part of healing the Earth and, from a practical standpoint, we’re able to incorporate that into our religious school curriculum,” Whitney said.
Barrie Mittica, the director of engagement at the Kaiserman JCC, gathered people for a trail cleanup on the JCC’s Wynnewood property. She said the day was not just about doing good deeds but about understanding that they could add up to a great nation like Israel.
“It didn’t just happen. It happened by the hard work of many people,” Mittica said of Israel. “So, I think to honor that with working for our community builds into that idea.”
At Congregation Kol Emet in Yardley and Ohev Shalom of Bucks County, the focus was on one of life’s biggest necessities: food. The event, titled “Breakfast Bags for Seniors,” consisted of volunteers packing items and decorating breakfast bags.
Sue Weiner, one of the organizers, estimated that each synagogue contributed 100 bags and that the effort touched 200 seniors.
“The more people we can get involved, it makes not only the seniors feel good, but it makes you as a person feel good,” she said.
KleinLife hosted a similar event. Volunteers gathered to make “chicken tenders, meatballs, or fish fillets with vegetables,” according to a description on israel75.jewishphilly.org. They made 200 meals in two hours for “low-income homebound older adults across the greater Philadelphia area.”
John Eskate, KleinLife’s director of community services, connected the effort to the life cycle. When we were babies, Eskate explained, someone took care of us. Now it’s our turn to take care of older adults.
“It’s an important message because it’s our responsibility,” he said. “It’s our responsibility to take care of our relatives and non-relatives.”
Jewish Family and Children’s Service also organized a day to help a specific group of people in need: Ukrainian refugees. At the Barbara and Harvey Brodsky Enrichment Center in Bala Cynwyd, local Jews cooked soup, decorated cards and made blankets.
“A little bit of dignity and love shared,” said Brianna Torres, the volunteer coordinator for JFCS. “It’s about doing something bigger than ourselves. Doing something that is not inwardly focused. We can be a very individualized society.”
The Center City Kehillah brought people together to clean the yard at the Albert M. Greenfield School on Chestnut Street. As Kehillah co-chair Rhona Gerber explained, it had a dual focus: helping the environment and beautifying the community. The result was “a safe place for our kids to play,” she said.
“Center City is our home. And just as you invite your guests and want your home to look its best, you want your community to look its best,” she added.
Sharon Lustig, an Ohev Shalom of Bucks County member since 1988, attended the synagogue’s “Breakfast Bags for Seniors” event. She went because, as she put it, “If your synagogue is asking you to do a mitzvah, you do it.” In each bag, she wrote, “Every day is a gift. That’s why we call it the present.”
She wanted not only to give seniors some food but to make them feel good. People with health issues can get down, she explained. But it’s still important to enjoy today.
“You don’t know what tomorrow’s going to bring,” Lustig said.
Zanny Oltman, a Wynnewood resident and JFCS volunteer, helped at the JFCS event for Ukrainian refugees. Oltman and her husband brought their three children, too. As they wrote notes in the packages, the kids went to Google Translate to get their Ukrainian right.
“They enjoy how they feel when they’re helping out and they love how they feel when we are finished,” Oltman said of her children. ■
