E-Newsletters
October 2004
Message from the Chairman
Many of us relish October. Our succot are built. The air gets crisp. Leaves turn from green to gold. This October, Areyvut is changing along with the season.
Since our last newsletter, we have embarked on many new endeavors. Our first Jewish values desk calendar is out and ready for you to share with family and friends. The "A Kindness A Day: 365 Ways to Make A Difference" will help you make tzedakah and chesed meaningful on each day of the upcoming year. Areyvut has also developed an expanded Bnai Mitzvah Resource Center that is designed to meet the needs of students of bar and bat mitzvah age who are seeking individualized social action programs. For those bnai mitzvah already engaged in a community service project and committed to tikkun olam, Areyvut is holding its first Bnai Mitzvah Essay Contest, enabling students to share their experiences with other bnai mitzvah.
These are just some of Areyvut's newest programs. Read on to find out about more.
And I hope that before the weather gets too cold, you get to step outside for a minute, take a breath, and enjoy the fall.
Dawn S. Markowitz serves as Vice Chairman of Areyvut's Board of Trustees and is a legal editor with Trusts & Estates magazine.
Spotlight On…
"A Kindness A Day: 365 Ways to Make A Difference"
What better way to start the year than to "Let your first check of the year be to charity?" How easy is it to help others by donating an old cell phone to save a life?
Areyvut has created a unique way to infuse the world with tikkun olam over the upcoming year. Recently made available for sale, Areyvut's 2005 Jewish Values Desk Calendar makes the concepts of tzedakah and chesed accessible to people of all ages and affiliations. It is an ideal Chanukah or birthday gift for friends, colleagues and loved ones and would be a successful fundraiser for synagogues, schools and organizations committed to spreading Jewish values throughout the community.
The Areyvut 2005 Jewish Values Desk Calendar is full color, with a scenic picture on each day. On each page of the spiral bound calendar, there is a suggested action of the day, based on such ideals as chesed, tzedakah and tikkun olam, Torah learning, teaching and character improvement. There is also a quote taken from a Jewish source to support the action of the day. Though many of the calendar's activities are geared toward adults and college-age students, suggestions for how teachers can adapt the activities for students of all ages will be available beginning in January of 2005.
Calendars can be purchased individually or in large quantities, and special orders can be personalized. Prices will vary depending on the size of the order. If you have any additional questions regarding Areyvut's "A Kindness A Day Calendar", please do not hesitate to contact the Areyvut office at (212) 813-2950 or via e-mail at orders@areyvut.org.
For more information, sample pages, and order forms, please see:
www.areyvut.org/Programs/calendar.asp or www.areyvut.org/Programs/calfaq.asp
Areyvut's NEW Bnai Mitzvah Resource Center
Last spring, over one hundred students and parents met with Areyvut staff members to plan one of the most important aspects of their upcoming Bnai Mitzvah celebrations: The element where they give their time and effort back to their community. At one of Areyvut's Bnai Mitzvah Fairs in June, a group of 11 year old girls--avid knitters themselves-decided after meeting with members of Areyvut to knit pink, blue and yellow squares that they will sew together to make baby blankets for a hospital in Israel. A 12 year old boy with a passion for classic movies took a different approach; he decided to plan a "classic movie night" for seniors. And this is just the beginning.
As part of the Bnai Mitzvah Resource Center, a new initiative to help Bar/Bat Mitzvah students enhance their celebrations by participating in social action projects, Areyvut recently took part in three different Bnai Mitzvah Fairs across the New York area. Participants were introduced to representatives from a variety of community organizations and discovered a wide-range of service opportunities for them to enjoy. Students also sat down for personal consultations with Areyvut staff members where they were able to "think out of the box" in order to find unique service projects that appealed to their interests.
The Bnai Mitzvah Resource Center reaches out to Bar/Bat Mitzvah students in a number of other ways as well. Areyvut's team of educators arrange one-on-one meetings with program participants and their parents to design and implement projects that cater to each child's individual interests and personal goals. In addition to Bnai Mitzvah Fairs, Areyvut works with schools and community organizations to arrange Days of Service and expert panel discussions to educate parents and students on the variety of service projects that are available to Bar/Bat Mitzvah students. By encouraging all Bar/Bat Mitzvah students to mark their coming of age by giving of themselves to others, Areyvut hopes future generations will appreciate the impact that they can have on their communities.
If you are interested in finding out more about the Bnai Mitzvah Resource Center, please do not hesitate to contact the Areyvut office at (212) 813-2950 or via e-mail at daniel@areyvut.org.
For more information on recent Bnai Mitzvah Fairs, see:
www.areyvut.org/Action/fairs.asp
Areyvut in Action
CALLING ALL BNAI MITZVAH, PAST & PRESENT! We invite you to take part in Areyvut's first Bnai Mitzvah Essay Contest!Areyvut is looking for a spokesperson to encourage Bnai Mitzvah students to celebrate by helping others, and there is no better candidate for the position than those students who have already experienced the meaningful excitement of tikkun olam. The contest is open to students who are or have recently taken part in a community service project in celebration of a bar/bat mitzvah and would like to share their experiences with others. Winners will have their essays posted in the Monthly Themes section of the Areyvut web site, along with other marvelous prizes. Entries must be received by NOVEMBER 15th, 2004.
For essay questions, contest rules, prizes and entry form, please see:
www.areyvut.org/Action/essay.asp
Urgent Request to Save a Life
Stuart Zimmer, 35, a philanthropist and father of three children, is in desperate need of a living kidney donor. The surgery is simple and laparoscopic, with a small "bikini line" incision that allows the donor to be back at work within the week. There is no cost to the donor and no lifestyle restrictions post procedure. One can live a long and healthy life with one kidney.
If you would like to be tested as a potential donor and save this young man's life, please call Joan Kelly at Columbia Presbyterian Hospital at (212) 305-6469 or e-mail the family for more information:
zimmer6@aol.com.
To read a note from Stuart Zimmer's wife, Jennifer, see:
www.areyvut.org/Resource/mitzvah3.asp
Annual Lecture:
On Tuesday, May 4th, Areyvut held its Second Annual Lecture at the UJA-Federation of New York in Manhattan. Renowned author Rabbi Joseph Telushkin addressed an attentive audience on the need to sustain a balance between ritual observance and Jewish ethics. Audio tapes of the presentation are available for $7 and video tapes are available for $15.
To read more about the lecture, see:
www.areyvut.org/Programs/annual2.asp
Programs at the Jewish Community Center in Manhattan In conjunction with the Jewish Community Center in Manhattan, Areyvut is planning a number of programs to infuse the Jewish community with service learning and tikkun olam opportunities. Upcoming programs reach out to Bnai Mitzvah parents, students and educators. Featured learning opportunities include:
For detailed descriptions of each program and registration information, please see:
www.areyvut.org/Action/jccman5765.asp
Worldwide Shabbat Chesed
Areyvut played a central role in helping Daniel & Halana Rosenfield develop educational materials for a Worldwide Shabbat Chesed in the beginning of July in commemoration of the shloshim (30 days since the passing) of their three year old daughter, Chana Liora Rosenfield, who passed away from Cancer (Stage IV Neuroblastoma).
For information about Worldwide Shabbat Chesed please see: www.areyvut.org/Resource/mitzvah2.asp or www.chanaliora.com
Participate
Special Offers: Discounts on Books and Educational Resources
Areyvut supporters, program participants and website visitors receive discounts on books from The Jewish Publication Society (JPS) and educational videos from Live Wire Media.
For detailed information, please see:
www.areyvut.org/Support/offers.asp
Holiday Giving
Your support will enable us to maintain our programs and provide us with the ability to service additional schools, synagogues and communities. We hope that you include Areyvut in your philanthropic giving.
Tell a Friend
You are finishing our third quarterly e-newsletter and we encourage you to invite your colleagues, friends and family to sign up to receive future e-newsletters. All they need to do is visit www.Areyvut.org/email.asp and provide their information.
The Bottom Line
Never doubt that a small group of committed people can change the world, indeed it is the only thing that ever has.
Margaret Mead
Areyvut wishes you and your family a Shana Tova, a happy, healthy and peaceful new year.
Areyvut
1001 Avenue of the Americas, Suite 1208
New York, NY 10018
212-813-2950
www.Areyvut.org