Congregation Anshe Chesed in Linden held a community-wide mitzvah market on Sunday afternoon, March 30. The opportunities to do good included a clothing drive for Yad Leah, shaimos collection and used book sale, tefillin and mezuzah checking, non-perishable food drive for the Jewish Family Services Food Pantry, the tzedaka opportunity to become a “Daily Giver,” and the opportunity to receive a box of handmade shmura matzah for a donation to support local families in need. There was also the opportunity to purchase mezuzah parchments and distinctive resin mezuzah covers, enjoy delicious pizza and French fries from the Corner Slice, partake in a tasting of kosher wines available for order, and support the synagogue’s youth programming by purchasing soda, and snacks such as freshly made popcorn and cotton candy.
“Our goal was to create an event to bring all the local Jewish community together: Chasidic, Reform, Orthodox,” said Rabbi Yosef Katz of Anshe Chesed. “We had an incredibly successful clothing drive last year for Yad Leah, so we thought to expand a bit and include a sofer and food donations. As we were planning, my son suggested the theme of tzedaka and we chose to include the opportunity to have Daily Giving. I thought it would be nice to add a wine sale, but had no idea where to find someone. A wine store called me the very next day! We added a shaimos collection drive and an opportunity for people to add Judaic texts to their collections. Instead of just mailing a check somewhere, people had the collective opportunity to do many good things in one location.” By mid-event, it appeared that this year’s attendance would exceed last year’s count of 150 people.
“Last year we collected over 400 bags of clothing from this location,” said Jessica Katz, founder of Yad Leah, “and we will likely surpass that this year.” As families clean out for Passover and find clothing that their children have outgrown, community members have the opportunity to help 25 impoverished communities in Israel. A steady stream of minivans pulled up to the shul to drop off multiple large cardboard boxes, suit bags and other containers of gently used clothing that will be taken to Yad Leah’s distribution center for sorting.
Kyra Spivak represented the tzedakah organization Daily Giving and provided information for those unfamiliar with the group. “We do extensive vetting on the groups that money is given to. We help different types of organizations in various communities, especially in Israel,” he said. Representing The House of Wine and Liquor, Allen Cooper was happy to share his extensive knowledge about wines to help people pick the ones most suited to their needs.
