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Led by founder and director, Daniel Rothner, the Areyvut staff is working with bnai mitzvah at the Solomon Schechter School of Westchester to help them create and implement personal and fulfilling chesed and tzedakah projects with which to mark their milestone. After an introductory meeting with the entire seventh grade, Daniel met with students individually, helping them design a chesed program suited to their own interests, personalities and needs.
One student with a passion for ice-skating decided to donate money and equipment to a foundation that helps children who are less fortunate learn to skate. Several of the students have decided to address the situation in Israel-whether by helping victims of terror, putting information about various Israel related organizations on a table at their bnai mitzvah events, or by twinning with bnai mitzvah celebrating in Israel. One student requested in her invitation that guests bring a canned food in lieu of a gift. While many of the students have donated the leftover food from their events to local food pantries and incorporated their ideas within their Divrei Torah, others have done their work quietly. These are only a few examples of the ideas and projects that have been done to date.
The goal of such projects is to help bnai mitzvah become more aware of and sensitive to the needs of others, and encourage them to continue integrating chesed, tzedakah and tikkun olam into their everyday lives.
During the Presidents' Week vacation, Areyvut helped families visiting Israel find volunteer opportunities at agencies throughout Israel.
These volunteer opportunities offered families a chance to help Israel and contribute to it during this difficult time. Among the options available to families was putting together packages for soldiers, visiting children with special needs, preparing and serving food in a soup kitchen, and assembling walkers.
The agencies that have provided volunteer opportunities include: A Package from Home, Ezer Mizion, International Coalition for Missing Israeli Soildiers (ICMIS),
Keshet- The Center for Educational Tourism in Israel, Mifal Chaim, Yad Eliezer and Yad Sarah.
Additionally, Areyvut is facilitating volunteer opportunities for the high school students who come from three different states and must annually complete 40 hours of community service.
The volunteer opportunities deal with a wide array of issues, so that every student will have something that meets his/her needs. Some of the issues that students address by volunteering include working with teens and adults with developmental disabilities, helping the elderly with food shopping, making friendly visits, delivering Shabbat candles to nursing homes, participating in the UJA phone-a-thon, volunteering in soup kitchens and helping Israel related agencies.
The agencies that have provided volunteer opportunities include: AIPAC, JCC on the Palisades, Jewish Association for Developmental Disabilities, Jewish National Fund, UJA Federation of Bergen County & North Hudson, Bikur Cholim of Riverdale, The
Fairfield Division of the Hebrew Home for the Aged in Riverdale, Jewish Family Service of Rockland County, The Jewish Federation of Rockland County, American Jewish Committee, JCC on Mid-Westchester and the UJA Westchester.
To learn more about the Solomon Schechter School of Westchester visit their website at
www.solomon-schechter.com.
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