Mitzvah Magic, a volunteer program that supports local Jewish families in need, is celebrating its 18th year with a birthday bash on Wednesday, May 13.
Marlyne Freedman, then a vice president at the Jewish Federation of Southern Arizona, started the program in 2008 in response to the economic recession, recalls Anne Lowe, a Mitzvah Magic co-chair along with Audrey Baker, Danielle Larcom, and Katie Stellitano Rosen. Mitzvah Magic is a joint program of Jewish Philanthropies of Southern Arizona and Jewish Family & Children’s Services of Southern Arizona.
Three times a year, at Rosh Hashanah, Hanukkah, and Passover, groups of Mitzvah Magic volunteers, known as circles, create baskets of gifts, everyday necessities, and holiday food items for recipient families or individuals identified by JFCS. The recipients remain anonymous, but they provide surveys detailing how many people are in the family, their ages, clothing sizes, and needs and wants. Gift cards to grocery and other stores are popular, but circle members also enjoy picking out and wrapping presents.
During the recession that began in late 2007, there were local families in which both parents lost their jobs, says Lowe, and Mitzvah Magic was a way “to help them a little bit, feeding their families or even giving them [prepaid] credit cards so they could get gas in their car.”
“We’re up to over 200 members who currently help approximately 20 to 25 families each year,” Lowe says. The party on May 13 is for prospective circle members as well as current and past members.
Lowe, a circle captain, has been a Mitzvah Magic member since the program’s inception and has served as co-chair for the last four years. She’ll stay on as a circle captain, she says, but is glad to hand the reins to new co-chairs.
Stellitano Rosen has been co-captain of a circle with Larcom for five years, after joining seven or eight years ago.
“I joined her circle with a bunch of other members from my Young Women’s Cabinet class, which was really nice,” she says. “It was a great way for us to stay connected after our two-year stint in Young Women’s Cabinet.”
With 23 members, their circle provides gifts for two families.
“It was always important to me to be helping other Jewish families that were struggling locally,” but the COVID-19 pandemic, which hurt small businesses and caused a spike in unemployment, “really brought it home,” Stellitano Rosen says. “You could see the change in the requested items from games for their kids to things like dishwasher detergent and gasoline cards, much more necessity-based requests.”
Sophie German, director of JFCS’s older adult and community services departments, has seen the benefits of the program.
“Mitzvah Magic continues to have a deeply personal and immediate impact on Jewish households in our community,” German says. “Across Tucson during Rosh Hashanah, Hanukkah, and Passover, we serve families who are quietly navigating financial hardship, many of whom are choosing between basic needs and the ability to celebrate. Through this program, families receive individualized support that reflects what they actually need, allowing them to participate in meaningful Jewish traditions with dignity.”
For many recipients, it is more than assistance; it is a reminder that they are part of a community that truly cares, German says.
“Time and again, families share their deep and sincere gratitude, expressing how much this program has brought comfort and joy into their homes during times of stress and uncertainty,” she says.
The program is extremely important right now.
“As rising costs, reduced benefits such as SNAP, and increasing fuel and grocery expenses continue to strain household budgets, we have seen a growing number of families turning to Mitzvah Magic for support,” German says. “What might seem like a simple holiday package often relieves significant stress, making it possible for families to gather, celebrate, and feel a sense of normalcy during uncertain times. The program has become a vital point of connection and stability, ensuring that even in challenging circumstances, no one in our Jewish community has to experience the holidays alone or without support.
“This program year, we had the pleasure of serving 29 families, and we are hopeful that as Mitzvah Magic Circles continue to grow, we will be able to reach and support even more households in the coming year.”
The circles also provide an additional chance to connect with friends, says Stellitano Rosen, who explains that her circle often gathers for coffee or a happy hour to write cards and wrap presents.
“It’s a great opportunity for men’s groups or women’s groups or mah jongg circles,” she says.
Participants are encouraged to bring friends to the May 13 party, which will be held from 5:30 p.m. to 7 p.m. To RSVP, click here.
