AN ACTIVE SOCIAL ACTION YEAR
 

Sunday, November 8 through Sunday, December 6
Winter Coat Drive

It's time to clean out your closets and bring gently used, clean coats, hats and other outerwear of all sizes for distribution to PADS and other Lake County groups in need of warm clothing.  Join us to help sort and deliver the items collected. 

Sunday, November 15, 2009
Community Feast Soup Kitchen at the United Church of Rogers Park.  For ages 12+, help serve dinner to neighborhood needy, and clean up afterwards.  Contact Enid Arnowitz at earnowitz@aol.com.  Other dates: March 14, 2010.

Sunday, November 22, 2009
Family-to-Family Thanksgiving Mitzvah Project

Here is a great way for our families to once again support our "adopted" school in Waukegan. 

Needed:
More than 75 Beth El families to put together Thanksgiving baskets for the needy families whose children attend Glenwood School.  Each participating family will bring donated food items and assemble baskets on the morning of Sunday, November 23.  To register call Cheryl Swenson at 847-432-8903 x222 or at cswenson@nssbethel.org.  For more information contact Honey Bronson at honeybronson@hotmail.com.

2009 Thanksgiving Project Information

DECEMBER 2009

Sunday, December 6
Annual Coat Drive Sorting
Sort and/or deliver winter coats to Lake County organizations.  Please contact Mira Temkin at mtemkin@967@aol.com or Iris Center at pinkldy8@aol.com.

JANUARY 2010

Wednesday, January 13
Beth Emet Soup Kitchen
Beth Emet in Evanston hosts a dinner on Wednesday to provide nutritious meals for the hungry in their community.  Volunteers shop, cook and serve meals for as many as 100 diners in a welcoming and respectful environment.  The SAC seeks 9 to 13 adult volunteers and can accommodate up to 5 children 12 years and up.  Hours are from 4:15 to 7:00 p.m.  Volunteer roles are table setting, cooking dinner, bagged lunch preparation, and buffet serving.  To be part of this very rewarding experience, contact Enid Arnowitz at 847-831-1499 or earnowitz@aol.com. 

FEBRUARY 2010

Sunday, February 7
All Member Mitzvah Day
Everyone can be a volunteer!  Your mission, if you choose to accept it is to choose from one of the many community action projects offered on this special day.  Please contact Enid or Larry Arnowitz at earnowitz@aol.com or Honey Bronson at honeybronson@hotmail.com for more information and to let us know you are coming.  Begins about 9:00 am.
Mitzvah Day Registration Information
Mitzvah Day Projects
Register Online Today

MARCH 2010

Monday, March 1
Annual Food Drive
Here is an opportunity to empty your shelves of chamtez.  Collections will benefit the ARK and Moriane Township Food Pantries.  Help sort on Sunday morning, March 21, 2010.  Contact Enid Arnowitz at   earnowitz@aol.com.  

Sunday, March 14
Community Feast Soup Kitchen at the United Church of Rogers Park.  For ages 12+, help serve dinner to neighborhood needy, and clean up afterwards.  Contact Enid Arnowitz at earnowitz@aol.com.

Maot Chitim Packing Day
Packing Day: Sunday, March 14, 2010

Maot Chitim Delivery Day
Delivery Day: Sunday, March 21, 2010
Greater Chicago Maot Chitim
Warehouse Location: 222 Hartrey Ave, Evanston
Map to Warehouse

Volunteer as families or individuals to help pack and/or deliver Passover food packages to the needy Jews in Greater Chicago, so they can observe the holidays with dignity in a traditional manner.  For more information, contact Maot Chitim at 847-674-3224.

Sunday, March 21
Annual Food Drive Sorting
We need your help!  Come in and help sort collected food items.  Please contact Amy Spungen at aspungen@comcast.net to sign up.
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Other Mitzvah Opportunities

Mazon – Beth El is a partner with Mazon, a Jewish Response to Hunger. If you are celebrating a bar or bat mitzvah, wedding or other life cycle event, consider donating 3% of the cost of the event to Mazon, to recognize those less fortunate in a time or our own celebration. Information is available in the main office or from the SAC.

Shopping for the Homebound – Members of the SAC shop for an elderly homebound person in Highland Park on the first Thursday of each month. Grocery shopping and delivery take approximately two hours. If you are interested in volunteering your time for a month, or if you know of other homebound residents who need shoppers, contact Enid Arnowitz at earnowitz@aol.com or at 847-831-1499.

Berdichev – As part of the "Yad L’Yad" program, Beth El will continue to support the needs of our "adopted" Jewish community of Berdichev in the Ukraine. We provide funding, educational materials, and other life-sustaining items as needed. Most urgent are prescription medicines (physician sample donations are most appreciated), vitamins and toiletries. To learn more, see the link at the bottom of this page.

Comunidad Dor Jadash – This year a twinning program was established with Comunidad Dor Jadash, a sister congregation in Buenos Aires, Argentina. Many of our B’nai Mitzvah pair with teens in this economically ailing community, to help cover the cost of Bar/Bat Mitzvah education for a child in the Dor Jadash Talmud Torah Program. For further information about sharing your simcha (perhaps also a wedding or anniversary) with this community in need, please contact Enid and Larry Arnowitz at earnowitz@aol.com or at 847-831-1499.

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These are only some of the many opportunities in our community and in the Greater Chicago area for you to participate in the performance of the mitzvot of Gemilut Hasadim (Acts of Loving Kindness), Tikkun Olam (Repairing the World), or Tzedakah Righteous Acts).

The Social Action Committee has prepared a Resource Directory, containing many more projects. It is available in the Gray Cultural and Learning Center for your review. We hope you will take advantage of this directory so that each of us can find a meaningful way to make a difference.

ONGOING PROJECTS

Cell Phone Drop-Off at Beth El for Shalva --Those old cell phones lying around the house are more valuable than you may think. For every cell phone you drop off here, a cash donation is made to SHALVA, an agency that works exclusively to prevent domestic violence in Jewish homes. To date, the cell phone drive has raised over $8000 benefitting SHALVA’s crisis-counseling services.

Bring your old cell phones and accessories, in any condition, to the bin at the main entrance of the synagogue. For information, contact Rachel Kamin, 847-432-8900 ext. 242 or rkamin@nssbethel.org.

JUF Uptown Cafe – Anyone who has participated in this project will tell you how meaningful it is. The JUF Uptown Cafe in Chicago serves dinners to the needy on Monday and Thursday evenings and brunch on Sundays. If you and your family (ages 12 and older) would like to set tables and serve guests, contact Bryna Kurtz at brynakurtz@aol.com.  
Dates for 2009/2010:
November 8, 2009
December 10
January 18, 2010
February 14
March 16
April 15
 
Beth Emet Soup Kitchen
Beth Emet in Evanston hosts a dinner each Wednesday to provide nutritious meals for the hungry in their community.  Volunteers shop, cook and serve meals for as many as 100 diners in a welcoming and respectful environment.  The SAC seeks 9 to 13 adult volunteers and can accommodate up to 5 children 12 years and up.  Hours are from 4:15 to 7:00 p.m.  Volunteer roles are table setting, cooking dinner, bagged lunch preparation, and buffet serving.  To be part of this very rewarding experience, contact Enid Arnowitz at 847-831-1499 or earnowitz@aol.com.