Community Corner
Temple Tikvah Celebrates Mitzvah Day
Congregants and Hebrew school students came together to give back to the local and larger community.
In Hebrew, the word "mitzvah" can be translated as a way to give back to help another person. On Sunday, recognized its annual Mitzvah Day by helping people for a good cause. The room was filled with members of the temple who all shared the same goal: to give back to the local and larger community.
In the past, Mitzvah Day was acknowledged formally with a discussion about tolerance. However organizers said very few people would attend. Once they started a more interactive way to get involved, people came out to take part in the festivities.
The auditorium was transformed into a fun-filled environment with seven different stations. The kitchen was one of the stations for people take turns packing lunches. This week, nearly 100 hungry Long Islander’s at The INN in Hempstead will go home with an extra meal to help prevent hunger. Hillary Senise who took part in the peanut butter and jelly making said she thought the day was a successful way for children to learn about ways to help other people.
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“It’s important for [the children] to have a hands-on experience in order to connect with the needs of others,” Senise explained.
Students also took part in writing hand-made letters for some of the troops overseas.
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“This is a way for children to develop a different connection with the war overseas by sending cards and showing their support,” said Nuccia Hernan, the director of the early childhood program. “It serves as a reminder to let the troops know back home we are thankful for all that they do.”
Cards are also being mailed to members of the community who are ill to wish them “Refuah Shlemah” or a speedy recovery.
Other ways they helped included donating “suduka”, meaning charity, that will go to the Israeli Ambulance Service, as well as books, canned foods and hygiene products that will be sent overseas and donated to underprivileged people in the community.
“It’s especially exciting to see how many kindergartners and first graders are getting a head start in helping out,” Hernan said.
