Volunteering is rejuvenating and “good for the soul,” said David DiCosola, one of 18 volunteers from Jewish Philanthropies of Southern Arizona’s Young Leadership Division who joined Handmaker residents on Sunday, June 1, for a service and learning program.
Nate Weisband, JPSA Young Leadership Manager, created the pre-Shavuot program to cap his involvement in Catalyst, a nine-month professional development fellowship sponsored by Repair the World and Jewish Federations of North America.
He dubbed the program “B’Yachad,” Hebrew for “Together,” which proved an apt description of the day.
The JPSA volunteers and Handmaker residents spent almost four hours together around tables in Handmaker’s Great Room, swapping stories and eating lunch before packing boxes of school supplies for classrooms at Homer Davis Elementary School.
Rabbi Billy Lewkowicz gave a short talk about Shavuot, which celebrates the giving of the Torah on Mount Sinai. He said that like the biblical Ruth, whose story is often read on Shavuot, “We all in a way converted to Judaism by accepting the Torah” at Mount Sinai..
The rabbi added that although the Torah commands us to do mitzvot with a full heart, if that is not always possible, remember that “your actions are more important than your thoughts.”
Chris Nogami, principal of Homer Davis Elementary for the past three years, expressed his gratitude for the partnership with JPSA, which predates his time at the school (it started in 2009). He noted that 93% of the students live at or below the federal poverty line.
Purchased with a grant from Catalyst, the school supplies will serve approximately 400 students in grades K-6. They included tissues, paper, pencils, glue sticks, stickers, magic markers, and graph paper, among other items.
Before sealing the boxes, volunteers added notes for the students and teachers, ranging from a short and cheery “Do your best and have fun!” to longer exhortations, such as “Stay curious, ask questions, and believe in the incredible things you are capable of.”
Handmaker residents and JPSA volunteers alike ended the program energized by their efforts.
“Thank you all for coming here and making us all so happy. It was such fun,” said Chick Bressel, a Handmaker resident, while fellow resident Chip Slowick earned applause for his vow “to continue to give from my heart as much as I can.”
“This is one of the nicest days I can remember spending. I know the children will be so happy,” added Handmaker resident Tahnee Grauer.
Adina Karp, who cochaired the event, spoke of connecting with Bressel, discovering he’d lived in the Israeli town where her mother grew up, and he and her grandfather both worked at the Chaim Weitzmann Institute. She plans to visit Handmaker again and also to get involved with packing snack bags for Homer Davis.
“Being here brought back so many memories,” said Lily Wexler, who volunteered regularly at Handmaker when she was younger. “Seeing new faces, meeting new people, reminds me of how important it is to volunteer in the community, to find something you are passionate about and enjoy yourself.”
Nanci Levy, Handmaker’s community outreach coordinator, reminded the JPSA contingent that they don’t have to wait for a formal service project to visit with Handmaker residents.
At the start of the program, Weisband took a moment to acknowledge the murder of two young professionals outside the Capitol Jewish Museum in Washington, D.C., on May 21.
“As a Jewish people, we’re going through a lot right now. The murders that took place last week are wearing on our hearts and souls,” he said, before quoting Israeli-American activist Rachel Goldberg-Polin, mother of murdered hostage Hersh Goldberg, who said in a recent podcast, “‘When you get to a point where you feel hopeless and helpless, there’s always something you can do to add more light to this world that has so much darkness and brokenness to it.”
Weisband, like everyone in the room, little imagined that less than two hours later, another antisemitic attack would unfold in Boulder, Colorado, where 12 people were injured in a firebombing attack on a march in support of the hostages held in Gaza.
Reflecting later on the B’Yachad event, Weisband said, “The looks on the faces of the Handmaker residents reminded me why we do this work, the importance of embracing our Jewish identity and committing to living in alignment with our values. I’m so proud of our young leaders for showing up to shine a light during such a dark time.”
