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March 2006

Message from the Director

This week’s Torah portion, Vayikra, or Leviticus, lists various sacrificial offerings that can be brought to the Mishkan (Tabernacle) and, in later days, to the Temple in Jerusalem. Although the laws of the sacrificial offerings are no longer particularly relevant for us on a practical level, there are still some important lessons we can learn from these laws that are applicable even today.

When the Torah talks about certain types of guilt offerings, we learn that the guilt offering brought should be a sheep or a goat; however “if he cannot afford a sheep, the guilt offering that he presents to G-d for his sin shall be two turtle doves or two young common doves” (Leviticus 5:7). Furthermore, “if he cannot afford the two turtle doves or two common doves, the sacrifice that he must bring for his sin shall consist of 1/10 ephah (around two quarts) of wheat meal as a sin offering” (Leviticus 5:11).

From these laws we learn how important it is to help those who are needy fulfill their various obligations in a dignified fashion. We do not want a poor man’s family to go starving simply because he spent all of his money on an expensive offering, whether that offering was obligatory or voluntary. At the same time, we do not want a poor man to resort to offering a charitably donated animal because doing so will make him feel inferior. To prevent such a situation, the Torah clearly states that offering wheat meal is on par with more expensive sacrifices.

We must mirror the Torah’s concern for all people by treating each person we meet with respect and dignity. Smiling when we meet people, saying please when making requests and offering a kind word to someone who appears to be down are just a few examples of actions that have a positive impact on those around us – and require little energy on our part. Areyvut has set aside this Friday, March 31st, as a day to consider how little things make all the difference in the lives of those around us. We hope you will join us in turning the Torah’s teachings into action.

Daniel Rothner is the Founder and Director of Areyvut.

Spotlight On…

“Make a Difference” Day 2006: March 31-April 2, 2006

On March 31st, 2006, Areyvut's "A Kindness a Day Calendar: 365 Ways to Make the World a Better Place," encourages people to:

“Try to be totally unselfish today.”
Building upon this suggestion, fourth grade students at the Solomon Schechter in Northbrook, Illinois will be holding a book fair to raise funds for Hurricane Katrina victims; Bnai Mitzvah students in New York will be planning ways to incorporate tikkun olam into their celebrations; high school students in Florida will be walking in and volunteering at the Multiple Sclerosis Walk.

We invite you to take part in “Make a Difference” Day 2006 by planning a program for your synagogue, school or organization or participating in a community-wide project that has been planned in your area. Educational material to help guide your participation is now available in Adobe PDF by clicking on the following link:

2006 “Make a Difference” Day Educational Material

For more information on how you can participate in “Make a Difference” Day 2006, please click here.

You do not need to pre-register to be a part of “Make a Difference” Day; however, for those that register Areyvut will help you develop your programming for “Make a Difference” Day.

We welcome cosponsors who will help financially, inform others about the program and participate in it. If you are interested in donating time or money to making “Make a Difference” Day 2006 a success, please contact our office at 212-813-2950 or via e-mail at info@areyvut.org.

Areyvut Bnai Mitzvah Essay Contest

Areyvut is proud to announce the winners of its second annual Bnai Mitzvah Essay Contest. While all of the entrants described creative and meaningful tzedakah projects that can serve as models for future Bnai Mitzvah celebrants, four winners were selected. Areyvut congratulates the following students on their winning essays:

First Prize:

Sarita Rosenstock of Princeton, NJ, who started an initiative to end the genocide in Darfur.

Second Prize:

Eden Adler of Farmington Hills, MI who visited senior citizens and knitted hats for cancer patients.

Third Prize (Tie):

Elana Fink of Beachwood, OH, who raised money for Pups for Peace by walking and taking care of dogs.

Third Prize (Tie):

Charles Breitbart of Great Neck, NY, who raised money to build an outdoor basketball court in Tiberias.

We encourage you to read the winning essays by clicking on the following links:

An End to Genocide by Sarita Rosenstock
More Than Just a Mitzvah by Eden Adler
My Bat Mitzvah Went to the Dogs by Elana Fink
Chesed Hoops by Charles Breitbart

Areyvut invites all Bnai Mitzvah students to begin planning their entries for our Third Annual Bnai Mitzvah Essay Contest. We will begin collecting essays in the summer. Visit our website over the upcoming months for further details.

Areyvut Bnai Mitzvah Project Ideas Database

Areyvut believes that incorporating social action into a Bar or Bat Mitzvah can make a personal achievement into a community-wide celebration. In an effort to alleviate the challenge of finding tikkun olam programs that welcome preteen participation, Areyvut has updated and improved our Bnai Mitzvah Project Ideas Database. It now includes comprehensive descriptions of over 100 projects and volunteer organizations from across the United States and Israel, focusing specifically on how 11-13 year old students can become involved.

The Areyvut Bnai Mitzvah Project Ideas Database is organized to meet the needs of every family and classroom. Programs are grouped thematically into thirteen categories so that each child can easily find a project that matches his or her area of interest. By allowing children to select projects based on their individual personalities and interests, they will develop greater enthusiasm and devotion to their projects, both in preparation for their Bnai Mitzvah and for many years to come.

To find a project for an upcoming Bar or Bat Mitzvah celebration, please visit the Areyvut Bnai Mitzvah Project Ideas Database.

To learn other ways in which Areyvut can help tailor a Bnai Mitzvah project for your child, please visit the our Bnai Mitzvah Resource Center, submit a Bnai Mitzvah Intake Form or contact our office at 212-813-2950 or via e-mail at info@areyvut.org.

The Areyvut Bnai Mitzvah Project Ideas Database was made possible through the generous support of Targum Shlishi, a Raquel and Aryeh Rubin Foundation. We encourage you to visit their website (www.targumshlishi.org) to learn more about their work.

Areyvut in Action

SAR Academy (NY)

On September 25th, over 250 parents and students from the SAR Academy participated in more than 20 different community service projects as part of the school’s first community-wide Chesed Day. Participants reached out to senior citizens and people with disabilities, worked to improve the environment, helped the local fire department, visited the sick, organized a clothing drive, took part in the Race for a Cure, and much more. Areyvut offered guidance with regard to the structure and procedure of this program and created a comprehensive resource to direct the school community’s continued involvement in chesed and tikkun olam.

For more information on this program, please visit our website.

Beth Hillel Congregation Bnei Emunah (IL) On December 11th, Areyvut’s founder and director Daniel Rothner joined over 300 Beth Hillel Congregation Bnai Emunah community members in making good deeds a central focus of their day as part of the congregation’s annual Mitzvah Day celebration.

For more information on this program, please visit our website.

North Shore Hebrew Academy/Yeshiva Har Torah (NY)

On the evening of February 7th, sixth grade students from North Shore Hebrew Academy and Yeshiva Har Torah gathered together at the Strike Bowling Alley in New Hyde Park, NY to explore how they might incorporate tikkun olam into their upcoming Bnai Mitzvah celebrations. At this event, Areyvut met with over fifty students and parents to help plan a social action component to their Bnai Mitzvah preparation.

To find out more about this program, please visit our website.

HANC Middle School (NY)

On February 15th, Areyvut joined the seventh grade students at Hebrew Academy of Nassau County (HANC) Middle School to celebrate the school’s first Communication Day. Planned in conjunction with the school’s Social Work Department, the event addressed the importance of interacting with others in a positive way.

To find out more about this program, please visit our website.

Temple Beth Abraham (NY)

On March 5th, Areyvut had the pleasure of returning to Temple Beth Abraham to participate in the synagogue’s second annual Bnai Mitzvah Fair. Representatives from several local volunteer organizations greeted students and parents and shared ways to become involved in their work. One convincing representative was none other than a young Beth Abraham congregant, Dan Sherman, who had become involved in community service in preparation for his own Bar Mitzvah after last year’s Bnai Mitzvah Fair. Project ideas being promoted covered a broad range of interests including cleaning the environment, caring for animals, feeding the hungry, helping those with disabilities and cheering up the sick.

To find out more about this event, please visit our website.

Participate

“Make a Difference Day” Expo

In honor of the Second Annual “Make a Difference” Day, Areyvut invite Bar and Bat Mitzvah students, parents, rabbis, educators and community leaders to the “Make a Difference” Day Expo. Participants will have the opportunity to discover ways to make a difference in this world through chesed, tzedakah, and tikkun olam.

Where: Abraham Joshua Heschel School, 270 West 89th Street, New York, NY

When: Sunday, April 2, 2006, 10:00 AM- 4:00 PM

Admission is Free
Advance Reservations Requested

Confirmed participants:

American Friends of Magen David Adom
Children for Children
Friendship Circle
Gift of Life
Israel HighWay
JCC in Manhattan
Jewish Children’s Learning Lab
Livnot
Metropolitan Council on Jewish Poverty

Mitzvah Clowns
Mitzvah Squared
Ohel
Operation Noah
Partners in Kindness
Project Sunshine
Raising Awareness Destination: Darfur
Running for Israel
Tradition of Kindness

To make a reservation for the Expo, e-mail projects@areyvut.org or call 212-813-2950.
This program has been sponsored by S. Daniel Abraham.

To find out more about this event, please visit our website
(www.areyvut.org/Action/make2006b.asp).

Give and Impact the World

Join Areyvut in its mission to produce Jewish children who are dedicated to making social justice a part of their lives. Areyvut receives most of its support from individual donors and welcomes participation at any level.

Donations can be made by personal check, credit card, or gifts of stocks or securities. For more information on donating to Areyvut, please click here or contact our office at 212-813-2950 or via e-mail at info@areyvut.org.

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The Bottom Line

"A different world cannot be built by indifferent people"
Horace Mann

Areyvut
1001 Avenue of the Americas, Suite 1208
New York, NY 10018
(212) 813-2950
www.Areyvut.org

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