Urgently Needed

Dear Friends,

If you’re like me almost every day something comes at you by email or snail mail or Facebook announcing yet another collection drive for something or other. I get them from my kids’ school, organizations galore, friends and acquaintances who send me (or “friend” me) the things they or their favorite charities are working on. And, of course, the Temple! We are one of the major producers and proliferators of collections of all sorts. So, I apologize for what I am about to do by adding to your collection of collections. But, we really need your help.

You see, Mitzvah Day is coming up on November 6th, and our collection boxes are bare. We made a commitment as a congregation not only to run a blood drive that day at Temple but to collect school supplies for the Paterson public schools and garden supplies for senior citizens who plant indoors in the winter. We are also collecting arts and crafts projects for Chai Lifeline, which helps children who have been diagnosed with cancer and other serious illnesses. The Temple office sent you a notice – and quite possibly the religious school and ECC as well – but perhaps due to the collection din you have overlooked our collection bins.

All kidding and rhyming aside, we really do need your help. For us these collections may feel like a nuisance but for those who receive the items we collect they can be a godsend. As I said on Yom Kippur, tzedakah matters. It changes lives.

Specifically, please bring the following to the Temple on or preferably before November 6th:

School supplies – New pens, pencils, crayons, markers, rulers, notebooks, highlighters, scissors, erasers, folders, glue sticks, glue or any other unused classroom supplies
Gardening supplies – Seeds, potting soil, small pots and gardening tools
Arts and Crafts Projects – Not supplies, but art projects sold in the store for children that can be done in bed, e.g. Pixos, Mosaics, Crayola Explosion, etc.

And don’t forget to come to Temple Sinai, 1 Engle Street, between 8:45 a.m. and 2:00 p.m. on November 6, Mitzvah Day to donate blood! (Contact Ilene Wechter to sign up: ilene5656@gmail.com).

Last but not least, on Mitzvah Day Temple Sinai is joining with other members of the Northern New Jersey Jewish community to help renovate and fix up buildings in need of repair through “Bonim Builders.” Bonim Builders, a project of Federation’s Synagogue Leadership Initiative, performs home renovations and modifications for low to moderate-income families, seniors, the physically challenged, and local Jewish agencies. Participants should be age 16 and up; 16 – 18 year olds must be accompanied by an adult and there must be 1 adult participant for every 4 teens.

Hope that through all the “collection clutter” and “bin din” you can hear the call to help those in need. So many of you responded by donating clothes for the homeless before the youth groups’ “Midnight Run” program. Thank you! Please bring your donations for Mitzvah Day to Temple Sinai. To register for Mitzvah Day, go to www.jfnnj.org/mitzvahday. Mitzvah Day is a project of the Jewish Community Relations Council of the Jewish Federation of Northern New Jersey. Join in this occasion to give – and keep your eyes open for future opportunities which we will share with you. Remember, YOU can make a difference!

Shabbat Shalom,
Rabbi Jordan Millstein
rabbimillstein@templesinaibc.org

p.s. Don’t forget that my informal adult education class, “God Talk” begins this Sunday at 11:00 a.m. Come and join us for bagels, coffee and some “God Talk”. No belief in God ort pre-registration required!