True to its mission of fostering a culture of safety, respect and kindness, the MDS family joined together to turn lessons from the parsha into chesed opportunities for those in the community.

“We are eager to ensure that families are not only cared for during happy and more challenging life cycle events, but that chesed is constantly at the forefront of all of our children’s and families’ minds,” said Dr. Nava Silton, MDS parent and co-chair of the chesed committee with Brigitte Afilalo and Julie Walpert. “For this reason, the Chesed Corner, a weekly column in the school newsletter, the MDS Messenger, was created to afford students and families an opportunity to reflect on the integral role of chesed in each parsha and in each week of life. We highlight features of the parsha that most align with chesed and Ahavat Yisrael and invite faculty and students to discuss these chesed-based concepts and to extend the lessons into the classroom. We then have an opportunity to hear what exciting insights the students conjure up through their rich discussion and brainstorming in our newsletter each week.”

Organized by the MDS Parents Council, the Chesed Corner has engaged students, parents and faculty alike. Said Program Coordinator Rabbi Asher Klein, “We are thrilled to see the students excited by this initiative and continuously looking for ways to bring chesed to others.” Some of their acts of kindness include being kind to doormen, supporting local businesses and returning lost possessions. Added seventh grader Benjy Savenor, “When I help people and perform acts of chesed, it makes me feel like I contributed and put my stamp on that day.”