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Temple buzzes with mitzvot
Youngsters making holiday door hangings for seniors during mitzva day at Temple Emanu-El in Edison are, from left, Brittney Telesnick, 11, of Edison and twins Jared and Jenna Camacho, eight, of Edison. Photos by Debra Rubin
Young and old gathered at Temple Emanu-El in Edison to make sure the elderly and less fortunate would have a bright holiday season.
On Dec. 2, just two days before the start of Hanukka, participants at the synagogue's eighth annual mitzva day prepared food for the hungry and arranged clothes for the needy, decorated cookies, and wrote holiday cards for American soldiers.
"I'm here because it feels really great to help people who don't have any people to help them," said Kayla Bashe, 13, of Metuchen. "It's an amazing thing to do."
Youngsters put white icing and blue decorations on homemade cookies during mitzva day. The cookies were later taken to Whispering Knolls Assisted Living center.
She helped decorate cookies to be taken later that afternoon on a visit by the synagogue's junior choir to Whispering Knolls Assisted Living center.
The Pendel brothers — Mike, 12; Ian, 14; and Aaron, 10 — of Edison created cards for service men and women as their father, Steve, looked on.
"We do this every year because it's a nice thing to do," said Steve Pendel. "My wife is home sick or she'd be here with us too. This time of year, it is especially nice to give to others."
Other volunteers cooked soup and gathered clothes for Elijah's Promise soup kitchen in New Brunswick. Tookie Bacon, the driver and a volunteer with Elijah's Promise, said the organization expected 400 to 500 needy people to come to its premises Dec. 23 looking for such clothes.
For the first time, the synagogue decided to broaden its scope, said mitzva day coordinator Sandy Wilson, collecting donations for three causes. They were Camp Sunshine, a retreat in Casco, Maine, for children with life-threatening illnesses and their families; Nothing But Nets, an international initiative created by the United Nations Foundation to purchase anti-malaria bed netting; and an effort to buy solar cookers for women from Darfur; many of the women have been attacked while going out to collect firewood.
Irene Riegner of Edison stirs a pot of soup during mitzva day. The soup was later taken to Elijah's Promise soup kitchen in New Brunswick.
"I think our congregation is very much about helping others who are less fortunate," said Rabbi Deborah Bravo. "These are the kind of projects we do all year, but, of course, this is a wonderful time of year to be doing them. It is fun and energizes us to get in the spirit of the holidays."
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