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Mitzvah Day - A New Way
Mitzvah Day has long been one of our signature programs. Not only is it popular among TBZers and our fellow congregants at partner congregations Westminster Presbyterian Church and Islamic Society of the Niagara Frontier, but it's one of the things the community most knows us for.
Mitzvah Day is also one of our longest-running successes. For almost 13 years now, we can count on Mitzvah Day every year to be a fun, large, well-organized, successful venue for doing important work in the community. We have much to be proud of.
After 13 years Mitzvah Day needs some tweaking so this year, we're launching "Mitzvah Day: A New Way."
Now don't worry – we will still have your favorite projects and a big, yummy lunch on Sunday, May 19. It will look and feel a lot like the same Mitzvah Day we know and love. But, it's going to be even better, because there will be MORE opportunities to work in the community and to get to know our interfaith neighbors.
Our wonderful Mitzvah Day co-chairs, Michele Lash and Sue Goldberg, have initiated this remake thanks to their own observations as long-time Mitzvah Day participants and countless conversations with captains, organizations, and old and new volunteers. Michele and Sue have done an amazing job of creating a two-year process, which will keep the best of Mitzvah Day and add on many things you have requested. Specifically, we will:
1. Create opportunities for people to participate throughout the year, because every day is a day to do a mitzvah! Beginning this spring, there will be a calendar of opportunities including a fundraiser for Friends of Night People on Sunday, April 7. (Deborah Goldman goldman.deborah@gmail.com is the contact), and a cleanup of MLK Park also in April (date TBD, contact President Ken Rogers at plankar@aol.com).
2. Better serve the needs of our community organizations. We are asking groups what they need, rather than offering what we want to give them. Hence the April events above, which better meet the needs of FONP and the Parks System.
3. Engage more children and families, by having a special childrens' Mitzvah Day at the Broder Center, as part of Religious School, and including children from the religious schools of our partner congregations. A special thanks to Susan Schwartz and our faculty for coordinating this exciting opportunity.
4. Offer more opportunities for Interfaith Learning and Socializing, in keeping with the many requests we have received to build on our relationships with our Christian and Muslim partners at WPC and ISNF.
Whether you wish to learn, to garden, to build, to make new friends, to play with the kids, whatever your interest, we look forward to seeing each and every one of you for a bigger, better, new Mitzvah Day. |
