Being a volunteer at Holy Blossom

By Claudio Rudnicki.

Last Sunday after my son went to Hebrew school, my two kids and I had a Mitzvah event at our synagogue. I had a wonderful experience with my two kids helping to make a happy Hanukah for other Jewish children.

We had all the materials available (such as paper, wrapping paper, markers, glue, etc.) already set at the tables of Eisendraft auditorium waiting for us to start wrapping presents and making cards. We had brought presents with us and put them with all the rest of the gifts on a big long table where there were many presents generously brought in by the community.

Rabbi Helfman welcomed us and we even had a treat for lunch. After the Rabbi’s speech, we started to wrap the presents, write meaningful messages and decorate the cards. It was fun and heart-warming to see all the children focused and working hard to help other children.

We met people and made new friends, which is what the spirit of the synagogue is all about—bringing people together to create a sense of Jewish community where you belong, and making new friends. Everyone was really engaged in the activity. It’s true my kids and I volunteered; it’s also true that we received far more than we gave.

I strongly recommend you attend one of those events in the future and donate a little bit of your time to help our synagogue. I think you’ll find, as we did, that volunteering can be wonderfully rewarding.