Bergen County — More than 1,000 Jewish volunteers will gather at 40 plus locations on November 3^rd for the 16^th annual Mitzvah Day sponsored by the Jewish Federation of New Jersey.

“This is an opportunity for Jews across the denominations to participate in a community wide day of caring and sharing,” said Alice Blass, Mitzvah Day Coordinator. One of her jobs is to reach out to schools, synagogues and agencies to see if they want to be Mitzvah Day sites or if they can send their groups out to volunteer at a Mitzvah Day site. Some volunteers are so inspired they continue to volunteer throughout the year.

Yad Leah is a North Jersey organization that collects, ships and distributes lightly-used clothing to 30 different communities in Israel. Yad Leah’s Mitzvah Day event this year is focused on collecting baby clothes. Different synagogues and community centers have been recruited to collect the clothing. One such location this year is Teaneck’s Beth Sholom. These institutions then bring everything to a central location (this year it’s Barnart Temple in Franklin Lakes). On Mitzvah Day, volunteers pack the clothing and prepare it for shipment. Volunteers range from toddlers to teens, parents to seniors. Some come every year. The very next day, the clothes are sent to a warehouse and then shipped off to Israel.

Ahavat Achim of Fair Lawn is also actively participating in Mitzvah Day with members of its youth program, who are collecting school supplies in backpacks, which will be distributed to underprivileged children in Bergen County. There is plenty of room for additional projects that are community-generated, including one that was done a few years ago by the Fair Lawn Jewish Center, which assembled care packages for military personnel overseas.

Ms. Blass sums up Mitzvah Day succinctly, “It’s a feel good day and win-win for everyone involved.”

Everybody can make a difference. There are a number of different events going on this Mitzvah Day: spending time with seniors, social action projects, packing school supplies, and nature clean-up. With all the different chesed opportunities, it is easy to find a job that fits one’s interests.

To get involved and learn more about Mitzvah Day, visit the web site, at http://www.jfnnj.org/mitzvahday.

By Larry Bernstein