Yachad Students Give from the Heart

OUR COMMUNITY

Yachad Education Director Gail Greenberg with seventhgraders leading Havdallah just before collecting tzedakah. Fifth-grade students research charities.

Yachad Students Give from the Heart

Religious school students donate $800 to local charities.

GAIL GREENBERG, RJE SPECIAL TO THE JEWISH NEWS

There’s a mitzvah I like to do; it’s so easy you can do it, too! Just a few coins is all it takes, for you to do the Tzedakah Shake!”

Among the many mitzvot students learned about this year, tzedakah was one we focused on each week. Every Sunday morning, the students at Yachad, the combined religious school of Temple Emanu-El and Congregation Beth Shalom, both in Oak Park, came together to sing, dance and give tzedakah. From our little ones in the sibling babysitting room to our seventh-graders, everyone shared excitement in doing something good for the world.

Yachad fifth-graders took on the role of researchers, finding charities that shared their passions, including sports, animals, camp and more. They learned about their chosen organizations’ missions and created a slate of places where the collected tzedakah money could go. After a passionate presentation, all Yachad students were given “tzedakah bucks” that they used to vote for where the collected funds would be allocated.

The $800 collected went to the Detroit Dog Rescue, Tamarack Camps, the Jewish Federation of Metropolitan Detroit Ukraine Relief Fund, Mosaic Youth Theater, Forgotten Harvest, Arts and Scraps, Detroit Police Athletic League, Ronald McDonald House, Kids Kicking Cancer, Gift of Life and Yachad (because tzedakah begins at home!)

We are certainly proud of the Yachad students and their passion for learning, growing and giving!

Fifth-grade students after they shared information about the charities with the entire school.

COURTESY OF YACHAD

Gail Greenberg, RJE (Reform Jewish Educator), is the Yachad education director.