Conservative Synagogue Spreads Good Deeds

The Conservative Synagogue Spreads Good Deeds Throughout Community—Making the World a Better Place

Westport, Connecticut, May 21, 2012—From April 23-April 29th 2012, The Conservative Synagogue (TCS) completed a successful “Mitzvah Week.”  Nearly 125 members of TCS community participated in various charitable activities to help the local community.  From preschoolers to adults, Synagogue members volunteered their time or donated items to help those in need.

The term “Mitzvah” literally is a commandment of Jewish law and it is a word used to refer to the 613 commandments given in the Torah.  It is more generally referred to as a worthy deed or an act of human kindness.  “At the core of our Jewish identity lies the responsibility to be proactive in taking care of each other and the world around us.  Mitzvah week was a beautiful opportunity to remind ourselves of what we ought to strive to be doing every week of the year,” noted Rabbi Jeremy Wiederhorn.

Giving Back

• Synagogue members of all ages baked Challahs to donate to the Jewish Home for The Elderly in Fairfield (see photo—mitzvahday1—from left to right: Jacob Wolfe, Rachel Wolfe and Alexandra Blitzer).

• Members also worked to transform the exterior of a Homes With Hope* house, with weeding, planting and general gardening work (see photo—mitzvahday2—from left to right: Sara Glick, Ivy Gosseen, Ben Gosseen, Joel Siegel, Phil Glick, Michael Wolfe, David Hyman and Jessica Siegel).

• All week long, the Synagogue collected food for the Connecticut Food Bank and other essential items, such as baby supplies, toys and books for the Norwalk Emergency Center and new or gently used books for Books 2 Connect**.

• The Conservative Synagogue Preschool students created & decorated planters from recyclable containers and delivered them to the Jewish Home for The Elderly in Fairfield (see photos—mitzvahday3—Logan Noorily; mitzvahday4—Pearla Brown [left] and Abbe Kanfer [right]).

• The Conservative Synagogue religious school children collected bottles to recycle.  With the money they collected, they will plant trees in Israel in honor and appreciation of the Israeli Defense Force. 

*Homes with Hope: Homes with Hope’s mission is to provide facilities and supportive services in a structured environment that enable homeless people in the communities they serve to achieve an independent and self-sufficient life. For more information, contact http://www.hwhct.org/

**Books2Connect seeks new and gently used books to distribute to children from infancy through young adulthood, in an effort to build a foundation for life-long learning for families in need.  For more information, contact books2connect.org

The Conservative Synagogue is located at 30 Hillspoint Road, Westport.  For more information, please call 203-454-4673 or visit www.tcs-westport.org.