Greensboro, NC: Young Leadership Leaders Spearhead Mitzvah Day Celebration

This past April, the Jewish Community of Greensboro participated in the community’s 14th annual Mitzvah Day.  This celebration of community service is an event like no other with nearly every Jewish agency in town participating in the planning and implementation of the event.

This year, nearly 25% of the entire Greensboro Jewish community participated in Mitzvah Day.  Working at over forty projects through out the area, participants took the message of Tikkun Olam to the streets.  At the center of the organization of the event were two former Young Leadership participants, Dan Wolf and Aaron Strasser.

Their participation as co-Vice Chairs represented the second time in three years that the Mitzvah Day event was led by a former Young Leadership participant.

“In our Young Leadership group, we spent a lot of time discussing Tikkun Olam as it applies to our world today.  At the 2008 UJC Young Leadership W15 Conference, we heard speakers discuss how that same philosophy could be applied to the for-profit and non-profit worlds.  Our involvement in Mitzvah Day is a natural extension of the work began in the Young Leadership program,” said Wolf.

The projects for the volunteers were as varied as the volunteers themselves.  From delivering meals to homebound seniors to working with children living in homeless shelters to landscaping to bathing adoption dogs, the work of the Greensboro Mitzvah Day touched agencies providing a vast array of services.

“Dan and I agreed to organize Mitzvah Day because we understand the significant impact that our work has in the community.  We are helping those who lack the resources to help themselves.  Additionally, we are consistently amazed by the support of this event by the various Jewish organizations.  We continue to believe that Mitzvah Day is the most successful Jewish community event in Greensboro,” said Strasser.

Wolf and Strasser will also chair the 2010 Mitzvah Day and will undoubtedly be recruiting fellow Young Leaders to follow them in their leadership positions.

San Francisco, CA: Responding to the President’s Challenge

On June 17th, President Obama announced his plan for “United We Serve” and Channel 7 ABC News did a story on volunteer projects in the city. They filmed our Young Adult Division (YAD) at the San Francisco Food Bank, where we brought an enthusiastic group of volunteers to contribute to this important community effort.

Look for us boxing fruit in the background of this clip and hear one of our own (Courtney) being interviewed!

Las Vegas, NV: Planning for a Mitzvah

On June 28th, we are having our Mitzvah Day, where 150 JewELers (Jewish Emerging Leaders) will go out and heal our community. We're sending Vegas-themed care packages to US soldiers overseas, painting at the local Shade Tree Women's Shelter, helping Habitat for Humanity with a housing project, running a canned food drive for the local JFSA, and running a blood drive and Gift of Life bone marrow registry drive all in one day! We are bringing together about 15 sponsors, including synagogues, casinos, and event companies. A lot of hard work has gone into this project, and we know it will be a huge success. Pictures to follow after the event!

Chicago, IL: Social Action from Cafe to Synagogue

In these tough economic times, Chicago’s Young Leadership Division (YLD) is stepping up efforts to serve the local community.  As part of the Jewish United Fund/Jewish Federation, YLD is deeply involved in supporting local agencies and initiatives, not only raising funds to support social service agencies, but organizing projects that directly connect young adults to organizations in need of volunteer assistance.

Throughout the year, YLD sends volunteers to the JUF Uptown Café, Chicago's first kosher anti-hunger program for the needy. In addition to providing hot meals in a restaurant-style setting, the JUF Uptown Cafe program brings dignity and hope to people in need.  YLD volunteers serve food and converse with guests at their tables.  Through this experience volunteers develop relationships with the guests they serve and with one another.  YLD Board Treasurer Melody Mokhtarian, who oversees YLD’s volunteer initiatives, said, “There is nothing more rewarding than getting a ‘thank you’ for providing one of the basic necessities in life.”  

This spring, YLD members will participate in a unique volunteer experience at Agudas Achim North Shore Synagogue.  In its almost 120-year history, Agudas Achim has touched the lives of thousands of individuals.  This historic synagogue has served as a place of worship, communal gathering, celebration and education for Congregants throughout its history.  The synagogue building is a beautiful cathedral-style structure located in the Uptown area of Chicago.  Currently the synagogue is in a transitional period and its building is in need of repairs.  YLD members will help restore this community institution--oiling benches, sweeping and mopping floors, and cleaning the synagogue grounds.  This “YLD Volunteer Day” will serve as one small demonstration of the power of our community to support those in need.  
 
Please visit the Chicago YLD website (www.yldchicago.org) for updates on these and other volunteer opportunities.