On a recent evening, a group of dedicated Temple Emanu-El volunteers lived out our values of tikkun olam, repairing the world, by serving more than 225 clients at The Bowery Mission. With warm smiles and open hearts, volunteers helped serve dinner, connected with guests, and supported an organization that provides care and dignity to some …
On a quiet Tuesday morning in I.M. Wise Hall, the Tikkun Olam Committee paused for lunch. They had earned it. The dozen volunteers had spent the previous two hours transforming Wise Hall into a high end fashion boutique for Project Prom, Temple Emanu-El’s annual drive that helps high school seniors pick out their dream prom …
As over 140 volunteers assembled packages, longtime Tikkun Olam volunteer Eileen Melniker could not remember how many Mitzvah Days she has participated in during her 35 years of membership. Instead, she focused on the bustle around her. The religious school students zipping through the package assembly stations. The families with young children taking in Mitzvah Day for the first time. Providing guidance to volunteers. Reflecting on what the day meant to her.
“Whatever the temple needs, I am here to help,” Melniker said. “[Participating in Mitzvah Day] shows how blessed I am. When people think I do it for them, yes I do. I could tell you, it’s not 50-50. I get 51. I get more out of it, by doing it and knowing how lucky I am to be able to do it and to be part of the temple for so many years that affords us the luxury to have all these things given for other people. It’s a blessing.”
Across Wise Hall, Dana Covey oversaw a flurry of activity. When the day began, the tables at her station were filled with hats, gloves, and scarves. An hour later, it had all been packed up, ready to be delivered to New Yorkers in need. Covey, a longtime Mitzvah Day volunteer, never envisioned becoming a regular participant in Temple Emanu-El’s Tikkun Olam programming. She came to Temple Emanu-El for religious school for her son. While waiting for her son, she was recruited to help pack Mishloach Manot for soldiers. Ever since she made that first Mishloach Manot package, her involvement in Temple Emanu-El’s Tikkun Olam programs has become a cornerstone of her Temple Emanu-El experience. She has volunteered at many Mitzvah Days and has been involved with Project Prom for 12 years.
“I love being able to do something here that has an impact,” Covey said.
Temple members of all ages — toddlers with their parents, religious school students, and adults — contributed to Mitzvah Day. They created care packages for organizations such as Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, Mount Sinai Pediatric Departments, Hour Children, DOROT, The Urban Outreach Center, The Bowery Mission, Temple Emanu-El’s Project Prom, Part of the Solution, Neighborhood Coalition for Shelter, and New York Center for Children.
As Melniker, Covey, and the other Mitzvah Day volunteers packed up their stations, the screech of packing tape pierced the air. Volunteers and staff prepped packages for their journeys to every corner of New York City.
A few days later, the packages began arriving across New York City. They immediately began changing lives. “These donations could not have come at a better time,” said Monique Phillips, program director for Neighborhood Coalition for Shelter. “The essential kits are really great and will be so helpful and useful to the families at New York Center for Children,” said Christine Crowther, executive director of New York Center for Children.
To learn more about Mitzvah Day, watch this report from PIX11 News.
Temple Emanu-El members You never know what impact an act of Tikkun Olam will have for others. This year our Tikkun Olam committee donated over 400 toys to Part of the Solution (POTS), a nonprofit social services agency in the Bronx. POTS then distributed the toys to children and families who utilize their services, which …
The Tikkun Olam committee would like to thank the over 100 volunteers who set up and served our Tikkun Olam Thanksgiving meal to 225 New Yorkers — seniors, women from local domestic violence shelters and families facing the challenges of homelessness. Our volunteers brought cheer and joy to these guests’ holiday celebrations.
Opportunities like our Thanksgiving dinner remind us that we are all created in the image of God, b’tzelem Elohim, and deserving of respect and community, no matter our economic situation.
Watch Rabbi Sara Sapadin’s November 29th Shabbat Sermon recapping the experience, check out the coverage in The New York Jewish Week’s (scroll to the bottom), and help us keep up the good work by joining us for Mitzvah Day on January 12th. You can sign up here.
Coverage of Temple Emanu-El’s Thanksgiving Dinner in the New York Jewish Week’s November 25th newsletter.
The Teen Division at Temple Emanu-El empowers students to grow as passionate, creative leaders and role models. Through meaningful Jewish experiences, we strive to ensure that every teen feels seen, valued, and deeply connected to our community. By fostering a sense of belonging and purpose, our programs not only create lasting memories but also prepare …
On July 31, Tikkun Olam volunteers came together to assemble 240 backpacks filled with 19 essential items for students from The Children’s Village in time for the start of school. Our support helps local children and teens in NYC on their journey towards well-being, belonging and independence. Founded in 1851, The Children’s Village has stayed true to …
As prom season approaches, the excitement among high school students is palpable. Yet, for some, the anticipation is clouded by worries about the costs associated with this milestone event. Temple Emanu-El’s Project Prom empowers hundreds of high school seniors in New York City, offering them a boutique-style shopping experience where they can receive free prom ensembles.
For the 12th consecutive year, Tikkun Olam transformed our space into a bustling boutique, adorned with racks of dresses in all sizes, shelves of shoes, bags, and an array of accessories—all available free of charge.
With a selection of over 1,000 dresses catering to more than 365 girls from 22 different schools, the event ensures that everyone has the opportunity to experience this milestone. Susan Kaufman, the Tikkun Olam committee chair, emphasized the inclusive nature of the initiative, stating, “the schools will invite girls who might not otherwise be able to afford to go to prom, so we work with guidance counselors so that we make sure that every girl in need gets a full, beautiful prom ensemble.”
What sets Project Prom apart is not only its scale but also its commitment to providing brand new attire. Through the generous donations from vendors within the community, every item in the room sparkles with the promise of a magical evening. We would not be able to host this event without the extreme generosity of our vendors:
It is essential to acknowledge the unsung heroes behind the scenes—over 100 volunteers from Temple Emanu-El and Park Avenue Synagogue selflessly dedicated their time and effort to act as personal shoppers to support students and ensure that every aspect of the event ran smoothly. A special thanks also goes to the Project Prom committee leaders as their constant dedication to this yearly event is how the magic happens! We are grateful to Debbie Halperin, Lori Vili, Rena Goldstein, Jennifer Rittmaster, Dana Covey, Abby Solomon, Eileen Melniker and Marlene Yokel for all their hard work. Thank you also to Karen Smul from Park Avenue Synagogue who has been the Project Prom in-house photographer for many years!
Project Prom showcases the impact of spreading joy and empowering young women, and is a unique way to introduce members of the Temple Emanu-El community to the myriad ways Tikkun Olam gives back to the larger New York community.
Tikkun Olam Volunteers and Project Leaders gathered in Wise Hall this past Sunday, March 17, 2024, to assemble over 2,000 packages containing more than 16,000 items, including provisions for food insecurity, to aid communities in need during Tikkun Olam’s Spring Mitzvah Day. We are grateful to the over 60 community members who arrived ready to …
Tikkun Olam volunteers came together this February to assemble 75 Mishloach Manot packages for the Jewish Chaplains Council and 96 packages for East Harlem Community Partnership/Union Settlement. The Mishloach Manot packages included Purim treats such as Hamantaschen, candy and groggers to celebrate. The packages for East Harlem Community Partnership/Union Settlement featured hats, gloves, socks, arts …
Thank you to all of our volunteers who contributed their time and energy to a worthwhile mitzvah for the Supply Drive for Israel. We received hundreds of packages and had 100+ volunteers from the Temple Emanu-El community join us to pack an impressive 842 items to be sent to Israel’s front lines. For our third …
On Thursday, December 28, Temple Emanu-El hosted the Children’s Village Annual Holiday party in I. M. Wise Hall. What a truly wonderful and festive celebration as over 125 children and their foster parents enjoyed a delicious meal and scrumptious desserts. 45 staff members from the Children’s Village also attended, as many of them work closely with the families. So many happy faces as each child received a Winter Wish that was age- and gender-appropriate from Santa Claus. The children were entertained with glitter tattoos and carnival games which were a huge hit!
These children may not have received a gift for Christmas this year, which makes this even more moving. This is the third opportunity Temple Emanu-El has had to host this party. Hopefully this will become an annual event! The theme was a “Christmas Wonderland” and Temple Emanu-El volunteers decorated I.M. Wise Hall and it looked very festive! A huge thank you to all who were there to support this very important cause. The children and their families were so excited and had so much fun. It is very difficult to express the emotion in the room that day. To see these young children so very happy for a short time during the day was overwhelming. Their lives are in a state of turbulence and Temple Emanu-El is so blessed to be able to provide support and a sense of community for a few hours during the holiday season to make their days a bit brighter.
The Children’s Village was founded in 1851, and today, their mission remains very much the same: they work in partnership with families to help society’s most vulnerable children so that they become educationally proficient, economically productive, and socially responsible members of their communities.
Many, Many thanks to Jesus Toribio, our staff, John O’Hara and Mark Heutlinger as without their support we would not be able to fulfill so many of our Mitzvah’s.
Temple Emanu-El and all of our volunteers are so blessed to be able to assist those who need support, showing that people within the community really do care as we share comfort, conversation and compassion.
Learn how you can get involved with Tikkun Olam at Temple Emanu-El.
