Welcome to Areyvut

	*How Areyvut’s A-Kindness-A-Day Calendar* Made an Impact**
		This Calendar belongs on the desk of anyone who takes or wants to take their Judaism seriously. It is inspirational and challenges the reader to really make a difference in less than 30 seconds a day! I literally cried tears of joy as I read through each day's action item. Rabbi David Fine Congregation BIAV, Overland Park, KS I can't tell you how much I have enjoyed it over the course of the year! Its suggestions inspire me to be a better person and Jew. Susan Jacobs, Assistant Editor Jewish Journal North of Boston, Salem, MA I absolutely look forward to the calendar everyday. I have taken it upon myself to create a staff bulletin board called "A KINDNESS A DAY", I update it frequently. I hope to expand the display to the lobby soon so that our members can take a moment to think about how they can make their day/someone else's day a little sweeter. Judy Miller Director of Membership Northern Region of JCC, IL I keep your "Kindness a Day" calendar in the middle of my kitchen table. Each morning my youngest child, Bracha, flips the page and reads the new day's message. Debbie Robinson Newton Centre, MA My daughter's Dvar Torah at her Bat Mitzvah service last Saturday was about community service -- helping others in small ways each day, even if we can't fix all the problems of the world ourselves. When she finished, we gave each guest in the congregation a calendar. They were very touched by that. Judy Gross New York, NY I find that people share their thoughts about the day with each other. I have spoken to a number of people who have commented on what act of kindness they did that day because of the calendar! Laurie Hoffman Center for Jewish Education of Rockland, NY I loved it when I saw it – and the day it arrived, I was so charmed by the calendar that I brought it with me to lunch. Susan Abravanel SOLV, Portland, OR This is a beautiful idea and very special project. You continue bringing more chesed and kindness into the world. Daniel Rosenfield Beit Shemesh, Israel Most acts of kindness in the calendar are nice tidbits that usually keep me focused and remind me to think of ways of helping others throughout the day. There was one day in March of this year when the particular suggested act really had an impact on me. At that time, a 15 year old boy from a Jewish high school in New York was playing football when suddenly he collapsed for no apparent reason. One moment he was having a great time with his friends, and the next moment he was unconscious. Attempts at CPR failed and he passed away the following day in the hospital. The cause was a rare blood disease and the doctors were unable to stop the severe hemorrhaging. This hit me very hard and I was in a complete daze. I could not imagine how such a young innocent boy could be taken away from us so quickly and suddenly. When I came home that day, I glanced at the calendar and saw that the suggested act was “Sign up for a CPR course.” I knew that must be a message…. Anonymous I just wanted to let you know that I didn't realize how great the calendar is and how much I like it until I put it on my desk. Valerie Khaytina Assistant Director Israel Programs and Communications Planned Giving and Endowments United Jewish Communities, NY