Making a difference through acts of chesed is a central value for students at RKYHS. The many extra curricular opportunities offered at RKYHS from the Homelessness Awareness Club, Habitat for Humanity and a school-wide annual hair drive to make wigs for cancer patients, to the Blood Drive Committee, Kids Against Cancer Club and communicating regularly with Jewish elderly, provide RKYHS students with a multitude of ways to give back and encourage students to perform self-motivated acts of chesed. A group of seniors at RKYHS helped people build their sukkot this year, and then took a significant portion of their income and donated it to JRA (Jewish Relief Agency). The donation helped JRA pack and deliver 550 food boxes for those in need this past month! Yashar koach to the seniors for their generous act of kindness.

The brother sister team of senior Itai Merlin and sophomore Liav Merlin created an initiative to create and donate COVID-19 first aid kits to people in need. They have already funded and put together 26 kits that were picked up last week by a representative from Habitat for Humanity to be distributed to families in need in Newark. The kits included masks and hand sanitizers as well as other safety items. RKYHS has an active Habitat for Humanity Club that builds houses both locally throughout New Jersey and in other states through the organization and participates in programs to supply help for those in need. They meet weekly and have welcomed various speakers so far this year to increase their awareness about what they can do to help.