JKHA and RKYHS came together to participate in a school-wide Yom Chesed. All of JKHA worked together for a day to give back to people who have been impacted by the pandemic. Middle school Student Council began the program by speaking to JKHA students via Zoom about the importance of chesed. Then nursery through eighth grade participated in a variety of activities including making hero pins and badges for Shoprite workers, making care packages for healthcare workers at Newark Beth Israel, card making for nursing home residents through Dorot, JRA food packing and mask chains and card making for the participants in Friendship Circle. Second graders also assembled all the toys they collected for the Chai Lifeline toy drive with the help of members of the RKYHS Kids Against Cancer club.

RKYHS students were presented with a number of virtual chesed opportunities that could be done anywhere, anytime and not just during today’s program. They could express gratitude through letter writing to teachers, parents, American troops, members of the IDF and first responders or call a family member they haven’t spoken to in a while. Other opportunities introduced to students to do on their own time included digitally volunteering around the world through the UN, donating coding abilities to a non-profit, helping the blind from their smartphone and many more.