RTMA seniors spent their first Friday of the school year engaged in communal acts of chesed.

Splitting into two groups, the senior class left campus to give back to the community and help bring joy to those in need. One group spent the morning with the residents of the Daughters of Israel nursing home, playing games and conversing with residents.

The staff was very impressed with the character of our students. “I was a little nervous at first,” said Eli Ukraincik, a senior from Highland Park. “Once we started interacting with the residents though, I felt great knowing that my being there was bringing a smile to their faces.”

A second group of seniors partnered with Zichron Dovid, a bikur cholim house started in memory of the late Dovid Rozehzadeh, z”l, father of JEC parent and alumnus, Dr. Joseph Rozehzadeh. Students helped volunteers prepare the many services they offer; packing food, making beds and visiting patients in the hospital.

“The centrality of chesed is critical in the development of a ben Torah,” said Rabbi Yisroel Rich, rebbe for the senior class and director of student life. “These trips provides students with the opportunity to reach outside themselves and help improve the lives of others in a fun and meaningful way.”