Mitzvah Project Ideas

Description of Organization:
Support Israel's emergency medical, health, and disaster services through ambulance and mobile intensive care unit services, blood bank services, permanent first aid and life-saving services, and basic first aid training for adults.

Bnai Mitzvah Projects or Volunteer Opportunities offered by the organization for children ages 11 - 13:
Projects are available based on the celebrant's creativity, issues, and talents. Magen David Adom urges every individual to call them so that they may explore an appropriate program.

Description of Organization:
American Friends of Meir Panim was established to help alleviate and diminish the harmful effects of poverty on thousands of families across Israel. The need to help needy Israeli families break out of the vicious cycle of poverty is something that could not be ignored. American Friends of Meir Panim is steadfast in its mission to keep children-at-risk in productive environments, sustaining them and providing an opportunity for a brighter future.

Bnai Mitzvah Projects or Volunteer Opportunities offered by the organization for children ages 11 - 13:

Description of Organization:
Migdal Ohr was founded by Israel Prize Laureate, Rabbi Yitzchak Dovid Grossman, to provide a nurturing home and an outstanding education to abused, orphaned, impoverished and new immigrant Israeli Children. The organization now cares for and educates over 6,500 Israeli children. From nursery to high school, children are given dormitories, mentors, friends, clothing, books, libraries, recreation, enrichment classes and whatever it takes to lift them up and help them lead productive and meaningful lives. The landmark achievement of the organization is its graduates who are becoming doctors, lawyers, engineers, scientists, rabbis, army officers, community leaders, and teachers. Disadvantaged graduates with no families are given additional post-graduate job and career skills training to enable them to become economically independent and integrated into mainstream Israel.

Bnai Mitzvah Projects or Volunteer Opportunities offered by the organization for children ages 11 - 13:

Description of Organization:
Orr Shalom is the largest provider of therapeutic foster and group home care for Israel's most vulnerable children. These children, ages birth to 18, have been removed from their homes due to severe neglect and abuse. Today, more than 1,300 children are given a fresh start at life in one of Orr Shalom's 550 loving foster homes. In more severe cases children are placed in small group homes that offer even greater safety and specialized, individual care. What makes Orr Shalom's approach so unique is our extensive network of physicians, social workers, therapists and specialists who work together as a team to ensure the best opportunity for healing and a normal life. This is a very expensive approach as we use people, rather than medication to aid the children and help hem cope and grow. We want these children to have all of the same opportunities that children who grow up in loving homes have - extra curricular activities and lessons, new clothes, a Bar or Bat Mitzvah. American Friends of Orr Shalom raises much needed funds in the United States and send the money to Israel where it goes directly to support the programs.

Bnai Mitzvah Projects or Volunteer Opportunities offered by the organization for children ages 11 - 13:
Levels of donating through Mitzvah projects: $250 buys a child all their school related items such as supplies, backpack and books for a year. $500 buys a child new clothes for a year as they grow and the seasons change. $650 sponsors a child's enrichment activities such as sports, music lessons, art or dance for a year. $1,000 supports special activities such as providing new equipment or improvements for one of the group homes. $2,000 has you really share your Mitzvah project with a child by allowing them to have a Bar or Bat Mitzvah celebration. This covers the cost of a talit and tefillan for boys, new clothes, a party and the entire experience of being like other kids. $3,000 pays for one year of extra support for a student so they may remain in school. Of course, every amount adds up. This is a great opportunity for a class project too!

Description of Organization:
To supplement religious items for soldiers in the Israel Defense forces.

Bnai Mitzvah Projects or Volunteer Opportunities offered by the organization for children ages 11 - 13:
Projects can include: adopting a brigade, supplying various religious articles (mezuzot, prayerbooks, succot), and Gemilat Chessed projects to help soldiers who are the "breadwinners" of their families, by sending care packages to their families for Shabbat and Holidays.

Description of Organization:
Yad Eliezer aims to combat poverty in Israel on the individual, communal, and national level by providing critical short-term relief while simultaneously confronting the underlying causes of indigence, forging broad-based solutions that empower long-term financial and emotional stability.

Bnai Mitzvah Projects or Volunteer Opportunities offered by the organization for children ages 11 - 13:
Yad Eliezer has two programs that are suitable for Bnai Mizvot. Since YE only operates in Israel this would not be a hands on project but would rather involve putting together enough money - through friends and projects (such as centerpieces or basketball tournaments). The first one is its Big Brother, Big Sister program, which YE can separately email more information to you. The second is its Tefillin program where a Bar/Bat Mitzvah "adopts" a contemporary in Israel from an indigent family and enables them to purchase a pair of Tefillin.

Description of Organization:
Tzedakah organization that provides 2500 food baskets every week for impoverished families all over Israel. We also operate 11 Children's Afternoon Enrichment Programs where children get a hot lunch, help with homework, educational and psychological testing with needed therapies and fun programs. We also distribute coats, blankets and heaters in the winter, and direct monetary assistance for those in dire straits.

Bnai Mitzvah Projects or Volunteer Opportunities offered by the organization for children ages 11 - 13:
1. Raise money for food baskets or to sponsor a child in one of the Children's Centers
2. Physically come and help pack food baskets
3. Make and send presents for underpriveleged children here
4. Write and send encouraging letters to the children here

Description of Organization:
JDC is the overseas arm of the organized North American Jewish community. Based on JDC's commitment to the idea that all Jews are responsible for one another - kol Yisrael areivim zeh la'zeh - JDC sponsors programs of relief, rescue, and renewal in communities around the world. The number of people assisted by JDC since 1914 reaches into the millions, and they have had a presence at one time or another in over 85 countries.

Bnai Mitzvah Projects or Volunteer Opportunities offered by the organization for children ages 11 - 13:
JDC welcomes and encourages efforts of Jewish youth to support its programs. They recommend that the person doing the project select one of their many programs, to which they have a particular interest, or connection, such as the country of their family roots, an age category, or content of the project itself, and contribute financial support directly to that project.

Description of Organization:
The American Zionist Movement (AZM) is a coalition of groups and individuals committed to Zionism: the idea that the Jewish people is one people with a shared history, values and language. AZM is the American affiliate of the World Zionist Organization, the Zionist Federation in the United States. The mission of the American Zionist Movement is to strengthen the connection of American Jews with Israel; develop their appreciation of the centrality of Israel to Jewish life worldwide; deepen their understanding of Israeli society and the challenges it faces; encourage travel, long-term visits and Aliyah to Israel; and to facilitate dialogue, debate and collective action to further Zionism in the United States and abroad.

Bnai Mitzvah Projects or Volunteer Opportunities offered by the organization for children ages 11 - 13:
Bring Israel's Soldiers Home Now Children can learn about the Jewish and moral issues associated with the abduction of Israeli soldiers, including pidyon shevuyim and tikkun olam. (www.azm.org/guide.shtml). The guide engages students in learning about current events and their social responsibility to better the world through background information, role-playing dialogues, and questions for discussion. After learning about the issues involved, students can take action through: --AZM's postcard campaign (http://www.azm.org/postcards3.shtml), featuring pre-written, pre-addressed postcards demanding a sign of life of the soldiers --AZM dogtags (http://www.azm.org/dogtag.shtml), which students can wear to raise awareness of the issue and sell as a fundraiser. --Downloadable posters (http://www.azm.org/posters.shtml), which can be displayed around a school, synagogue or community center at a rally. We also offer holiday-appropriate materials to be used on Passover and Chanukkah: --"Four More Sons, Four More Questions": http://www.azm.org/seder.shtml --"Light a Candle -- Wear a Dogtag -- Remember the Soldiers": http://www.azm.org/chanusoldiers.shtml Plan a Bar or Bat Mitzvah using the theme of working to bring back Israel's abducted soldiers: Your Bar or Bat Mitzvah marks your acceptance of responsibility as a Jewish adult. What better way to underscore the significance of this special day than by using it to advocate for the release of fellow Jews, captured by terrorists while fighting to keep Israel safe? Here are some party ideas. * Use AZM Dog Tags as party favors. * Hand out Postcards which your guests can fill out and send to UN, Red Cross and US Department of State officials, demanding that they take action. * Print out and hang Posters that broadcast the message: Bring Israel's Soldiers Home Now!

Description of Organization:
AMIT enables Israel's youth to realize their potential and strengthens Israeli society by educating and nurturing children from diverse backgrounds within a framework of academic excellence, religious values and Zionist ideals. AMIT educates and cares for Israel’s youth, including the most vulnerable children in Israel. Some 70 percent of AMIT students cope with educational, psychological, economic and/or social risk factors. AMIT approaches each child as an individual, maximizing his or her potential, and enabling our students to become vital, productive members of Israeli society. The AMIT schools promote religious tolerance, service to the state and the recognition that every child is blessed with unique talents and abilities. Founded in 1925, AMIT operates more than 70 schools, youth villages, surrogate family residences and other programs, constituting Israel's only government-recognized network of religious Jewish education incorporating academic and technological studies.

Bnai Mitzvah Projects or Volunteer Opportunities offered by the organization for children ages 11 - 13:
AMIT cares for more than 20,000 children in Israel. Many do not have families with whom to celebrate, with whom to share life's experiences, with whom to plan the milestone of a Bar or Bat Mitzvah. Many have families living below the poverty line. Some are children of immigrants who are struggling to make their way in a new homeland. AMIT's Bar and Bat Mitzvah Twinning Program offers the opportunity to have your child, grandchild, niece, nephew or friend's child approaching his or her Bar or Bat Mitzvah bond with an AMIT child in Israel, who is also preparing for this special day. By "twinning" a Bar or Bat Mitzvah, you will add a dimension of Tzedakah to your child's celebration and provide an underprivileged child in Israel with the memories of a lifetime. www.amitchildren.org/twinpdf.pdf

Description of Organization:
The ARC of Essex County will leave no avenue unexplored in the effort to enable those who have mental retardation to realize individual goals and to learn, work, play, and coexist with dignity in the community. We believe that the fabric of our society is enriched by all of us in different ways. Those of us with mental retardation are simply different, not lesser, threads in that fabric. Because we believe this, The ARC provides direct service to those with developmental disabilities and their families and acts as an advocate by advancing their interests.

Bnai Mitzvah Projects or Volunteer Opportunities offered by the organization for children ages 11 - 13:
Most programs in The ARC have a policy of not involving volunteers until 14 yrs. of age. However, we can and have made exceptions to the rule especially with Bnai Mitzvah Projects. We try to customize the activity or project to meet the needs of the students involved.

Description of Organization:
ATZUM’s work is founded on the belief that Israel should serve as an example for the rest of the world in addressing social problems and crises. ATZUM encourages individuals to become social activists and be part of a process providing assistance and creating change. Through its network of volunteers and support from friends and contributors, ATZUM is able to make a crucial difference in the following areas:

1) Assistance to Survivors of Terror. Countless Israeli families have suffered significant trauma and serious economic difficulties following death or injury. ATZUM helps 350 families to regain stability, particularly those whose major wage earner has been incapacitated.

2) Support to Righteous Gentiles. Israel is a home to 44 surviving Hasiday Umot Olam, Righteous Gentiles, and their spouses who risked their lives to save Jews during the Holocaust. ATZUM works to meet the basic needs of this heroic, elderly population and protect and improve the quality of life in their last years.

Bnai Mitzvah Projects or Volunteer Opportunities offered by the organization for children ages 11 - 13:
ATZUM'S Bnai Mitzvah project connects bar/bat-mitzvah aged children and their families in North America to bar/bat mitzvah in Israel who were wounded in a terror attack, or whose family members were wounded or killed. In each case, the American family decides how to define its relationship with the Israeli child. These include corresponding by letter, phone, or e-mail; sending gifts, or organizing special mitzvah projects in their hometown.

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