Health & Fitness
My Mitzvah Day
When I was first asked to assist as the Mitzvah Day co-chair, I wasn't sure what it meant. As we get closer, I don't really think about my personal meaning, but how many people we can affect.
By Alan Elkin, Mitzvah Day Co-Chair
It is now a month away, and the same uncertainties as every year are going through my mind, but I know that due to the dedication of the committee, it will all go well as expected. It will be another year of helping a lot of good people through the help of a lot of other good people.
When I was first asked by this year’s Mitzvah Day chair, Louise Supnick, to assist as the co-chair, I wasn’t sure what it meant. As we get closer, I don’t really think about my personal meaning, but how many people we can affect. I didn’t think I would still be involved all these years later when my daughter Jodi first dragged me down to the Weinberg Park Heights JCC on the morning of December 25, 2007. She had just returned from a youth mission to the Ukraine and learned of Mitzvah Day from those on the trip. Once I was there, I was impressed by the coordination and ability to make a difference for the greater community on a day that is centered mostly on the non-Jewish world.
I think if people who haven’t been involved in Mitzvah Day before come to the Park Heights JCC at 9 a.m. on Dec. 25, they will also see the dedication and selflessness of so many of our neighbors. I encourage people to take the extra step in helping on the committee next year or even volunteering to lead an off-site project THIS YEAR. In the past few years, I led a team downtown at a site for families with children getting treatment during the holidays at Johns Hopkins. Another year, I led a group of volunteers, collected donations, and cooked a turkey for those at the Hannah More Shelter. These were incredibly rewarding experiences and times that make me feel good all year long.
We collect items throughout the year for Mitzvah Day, and there are opportunities for people to be involved from December to December, which helps Mitzvah Day happen. Watch the web site for details and opportunities, and let us know if you not only want to be involved that day or on a bigger scale. You won’t regret it! The feelings will last a long time. See you in a few weeks. Together we can do good things … one person at a time.
Learn more about Mitzvah Day and register now>>