Mitzvah Projects at Temple Sinai

The world is sustained by three things: by Torah, by worship, and by loving deeds. – Pirkei Avot

A Mitzvah Project is a meaningful way to engage in one of the most important values in Judaism – tikkun olam, repairing the world.

Deciding what you want to do for a Mitzvah Project can be a daunting task. It can connect to your parsha or to your interests. More than anything, you should truly care about the work you are doing.

Questions to ask yourself when choosing how best to give back include:

• What am I good at?
• What do I like to do?
• What bothers me so much about the world that I feel I want to do something to change it?
• Does my family have a connection with an organization or a cause?

Read more in our Machberet (notebook) Mitzvah, a notebook to keep track of your mitzvah project.

Below is a list of local organizations with volunteer opportunities for 12-13 year olds.

This list is just a start so don’t limit yourself to what is here!

• Birthday Cakes 4 Free bakes, decorates, and delivers free birthday cakes to financially and socially disadvantaged children and seniors.  BC4F bakes 200+ birthday cakes a month and distributes them to 13 charities in the DMV area.

• Friendship Circle pairs teen volunteers with an individual with special needs. Together, they form a lasting friendship.  The Birthday Club is a monthly birthday party where the children celebrate their birthdays at an awesome party together with friends. The parties take place at various exciting venues around the county.

• Goods For Good (G4G) partners with local nonprofits that provide critical care to vulnerable and underserved communities in the DC area through collective acts of kindness.  G4G projects include cooking meals for residents in shelters, creating a personalized Birthday Celebration Box for a child in a shelter, and supporting their clothing pantry and clothing pop-ups for refugees, migrants, and other neighbors in need.

• Leveling the Playing Field redistributes equipment to expand access and equity within youth sports and recreation programs in under-resourced communities.  Volunteer opportunities include running a collection drive and volunteering to sort items in LPF’s Silver Spring warehouse.

• Small Things Matter:  This organization was founded on the idea that small acts of kindness can make a big impact on someone’s life. Their motto is “kid-powered kindness for those in need!” Small Things Matter is committed to helping others in need through our food, literacy and charity crafting programs.

• So What Else:  SWE’s mission is to ensure no child in our area experiences hunger; they also provide opportunities to learn and grow outside of the school day. Volunteers can help with the set up, running and take down of So What Elses’s Saturday Food Pantry.

• DCJCC’s Tzedek B’nai Mitzvah Fellowship:  Through this program, teens will engage in hands-on volunteering at sites around the DC area, learn about systems of inequality and avenues for advocacy, and build friendships with their cohort. They will finish the fellowship with a greater understanding of equity issues in our community, Jewish teachings around service and social justice, and how they can use their own personal strengths and passions to engage in changemaking beyond their bar/bat/bet mitzvahs.