Mitzvah clowning was a blast—what a fantastic way to have fun and bring a great deal of joy to others! It started with our training on the December 27, and we clowned all the way to the Hebrew Home in Riverdale on January 13.
When we arrived at the senior residence, we were graciously welcomed. After a few volunteers explained some important information about the residents to us, such as not to be alarmed if the seniors didn’t respond the way we’d expect. They provided background about the beautiful artwork on the walls and around the Jewish Museum that is inside the Hebrew Home. Next, we were split into groups, and headed off to visit seniors in many different areas of the building.
What a difference we were able to make as we cheered all of the residents up! We chatted, we smiled, we “clowned around,” we listened, and we all made some new friends. All of the residents enjoyed our visit very much, and they wanted to see us again. They loved the clown outfits, the funny makeup and our effort to make them feel happy. They loved to see our young faces since they do not get to see so many young adults to visit with very often.
After we finished chatting with the residents, we were fortunate to be able to tour the wonderful Jewish museum. RYNJ parent Mrs. Elana Kaplan was our guide as she shared important information about all the Jewish artifacts kept beneath the cases, and we were able to learn so much about our history.
Another highlight of the morning was a surprise visit from Mrs. Robbins, our general studies principal who retired last year. She joined Morah Zucker, Mrs. Wexler, Mrs. Hagler and our spirited Morot to help guide us through this fantastic experience.
On the return trip to RYNJ, we surveyed our fellow seventh graders about how the trip was for them. These are the responses that we received: “It was so much fun to bring smiles to the residents’ faces,” said Esther Feldman; Meira Shapiro answered, “I got to meet a lot of interesting people, and grew as a person from knowing that everyone is being taken care of”;
“It was a wonderful experience to meet the elderly and make their day feel special,” commented Mindy Neubort; and “It made me feel so good inside that I cheered up other people,” said Leeby Levine.
We also asked our friends if they enjoyed this type of chesed and if they would recommend it to others. The response was a resounding “yes!”
By Sophia Greenblatt and Dina Halberstam of 7G
