Mitzvah projects

Martha Moody Jacobs

Special To The Dayton Jewish Observer

Bar and Bat Mitzvah announcements in The Observer often mention celebrants’ “mitzvah projects”— good deeds done in concert with a young person’s being called to the Torah.

Mitzvah projects take on dimensions as unique as the interests and concerns of the Bar or Bat Mitzvah students themselves.

At Beth Jacob Congregation, according to Rabbi Hillel Fox, a Bar or Bat Mitzvah student is encouraged — not required — to do one or more mitzvah projects.

“They’ll often tell me what they have in mind,” Fox says.

Projects have ranged from playing violin to Covenant House residents to working in an animal shelter to soliciting funds for people moved during the Gaza disengagement.

Beth Jacob’s Rachel Wynne, the daughter of Ron and Mindibeth Wynne and a Hillel Academy student, loves Girl Scout overnight camp.

Two years ago, she agreed to visit area Scout Troops to promote the camp and was shocked to learn that some Scouts couldn’t afford it.

“I have so much fun there,” Rachel says. “Everybody should get to do it.”

Rachel decided that getting underprivileged Scouts to summer camp would be her mitzvah project. One day while riding in the car, she noticed pennies in a change compartment.

“My father said, ‘Rachel, you could use pennies.’”

Thus was born the Million Pennies Campaign. Rachel’s goal is to collect $10,000 for camp scholarships. Since January, she has raised about $2,500 in donations — enough to send several girls to camp.

Although her Bat Mitzvah ceremony was held in May, Rachel hopes to fund more camperships in 2007.

Rachel’s father says she spends most of her leisure time “rolling pennies.”

A worker at a downtown law firm has been collecting pennies in jars; and Fifth-Third Bank has started an account for the funds.

One unexpected lesson: pennies are heavy. “We had a box I couldn’t even scoot off my dresser,” Rachel says.

Temple Israel requires a mitzvah project for its Bar and Bat Mitzvah students.

“We want them to realize that Bar Mitzvah is not just a service, but they’re old enough to observe mitzvot (commandments),” Rabbi David Sofian says.

Students are expected to pick a meaningful project, then do it. “We don’t check up on them,” he adds.

Jeff Bloom, a recent Temple Israel Bar Mitzvah, chose to write letters in support of Israel to U.S. congressman and senators from Ohio. Jeff, who has visited Israel and has relatives there, describes Israel as “just a great place.”

While some of his classmates did mitzvah projects involving secular charities, Jeff — son of Julie and Dr. Rob Bloom — wanted to help a Jewish cause.

“I told them (the legislators) their past records on Israel were good and to keep their support going,” he says.

Jeff composed and typed the letters himself. He is waiting for responses.

The downside of a mitzvah project, according to Sofian, is the attitude that “once it’s done, it’s done.”

“We’re trying to reinforce that a Bar Mitzvah is the beginning, not the end,” Sofian says.

“We don’t do that here,” says Rabbi Bernard Barsky of Beth Abraham about mitzvah projects.

He says such projects are simply the custom of some synagogues or families. A Beth Abraham student, Barsky says, must learn to lead, in Hebrew, several hours of morning services.

“To me, the Bar Mitzvah is bringing a young person into the prayer life of the synagogue,” Barsky says. “It’s not trying to do everything. I don’t like to distract kids with other kinds of projects.”

Rabbi Judy Chessin of Temple Beth Or says students often feel “compelled to do something outside themself and then mention it” — although no mitzvah project is required.

Even if the project is chosen by a parent, she says, “in the end, the kids take it on.”

Temple Beth Or’s Arien Wolf-Knight, son of Eve Knight and Randy Wolf, loves to play basketball. About six months ago, his sister showed him a magazine article about an organization called Playing for Peace.

The group’s stated goal is “to use the game of basketball to unite and educate children and their communities.”

Last summer, Playing for Peace held a basketball camp for Israeli and Palestinian youths.

Arien’s mitzvah project goal was to raise $500 to help fund a follow-up tournament. He met his goal by selling bracelets the group had sent him and by airing a Playing for Peace DVD during his Bar Mitzvah service to encourage donations.

He is happy to have raised the money and even happier to raise awareness.

“A lot of people didn’t know about this organization,” he says.

As Fox says, “Oftentimes, a young, eager teenager doing something can be uplifting.”

© 2006 The Dayton Jewish Observer