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Center for Values and Community Service:
100 Minutes in Action

Sam Baum Entertains Residents at the Kateri

I liked playing at the Kateri Residence which I did on Sunday May 24 2009. I played a solo piano program of over a dozen show tunes, jazz pieces, and klezmer songs. There were several dozen old people in the audience. What I liked most was playing music for the people and making them happy. It made me feel good when they were singing along to songs like All The Things You Are, On The Sunny Side Of The Street, and What a Wonderful World. I played at a nursing home before my Bar Mitzvah Good Deed Project. I’m glad that my synagogue, Stephen Wise, asked my to play at Kateri. I hope to do this again

Sam Baum
SWFS Member

Beth Gelfond Organizes Nothing but Nets Campaign

Last December Sherri Miller asked if I’d be interested in getting involved with the Working Group for Social Justice and spearheading the Nothing But Nets (NBN) initiative. After describing to me what NBN is and what it entails, I jumped at the chance to be part of a program that costs so little and helps save so many lives. As you should already know, NBN is a global grassroots campaign to save lives by preventing malaria, the leading killer of children in Africa. To accomplish this, we have asked every congregant to make a $10 donation (or more) to buy an insecticide-treated family bed net. The net stops mosquitoes from biting during the night and spreading the disease, and the insecticide on the net kills the mosquitoes when they land on it, stopping them from flying on to find their next victim. As an added incentive, the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation will match each donation net for net!

NBN was launched on February 1, Mitzvah Day. I had a table with brochures and an actual net (minus the pesticide) to show exactly how it’s used. Most every parent stopped by and gently explained to their young children about mosquitoes in a "place far away that bite children and make them very sick" and what the net’s purpose is. In a two-hour period, 68 nets were purchased! We were off to a great start.

Shortly thereafter, Heather Stoltz and I created a page on the SWFS Web site explaining NBN with a link directing congregants to the Union for Reform Judaism’s site to allow them to make online donations. Instructions for donating by check or cash are also included. To date, 230 nets have been purchased, which is 33% of our goal of 700 nets (one for every Stephen Wise family). There is currently a display in the synagogue’s lobby with information on how to donate and an actual bed net. There is also a mention of NBN in the weekly e-newsletter giving an update on our progress and urging for donations.

Our big fundraiser is a basketball tournament for boys and girls aged 8-12 on Sunday, May 17, at York Prep’s gym. Rob Sweren and I are organizing this fun afternoon. We are inviting kids from other synagogues as well as from York Prep. There will be a raffle with merchandise from the NBA, food and drink and the religious school will hold a bake school. It’s all for a wonderful cause.

For $10, you can save the lives of an African family! If you haven’t already done so, please make a donation by visiting www.swfs.org. I’m confident we can reach our goal!

It’s been a wonderful experience being part of this campaign.

Beth Gelfond
Nothing But Nets Chairperson
Working Group on Social Justice

Norman Roth and Cast Take "Megillah Mia" On The Road

For many years the SWFS Purimspielers have pushed me to book them into a nursing home or other worthy venue. It took the gentle prodding of Cantor Dan Singer and the expertise of Heather Stoltz in the synagogue’s community service office to make it happen this year.

On Wednesday, March 18th, the cast and crew of "Megillah Mia! - The ABBA Spiel" marched uptown to Atria - the senior living residence on West 86th Street - to strut their stuff. We performed the entire 50 minute show to a captive and captivated audience who filled the "Piano Room" with their charm and zest and canes, wheelchairs and walkers.

Well, we now have a mutual admiration society comprised of the SWFS Purimspielers and the residents of Atria. They were enchanted by us and laughed, and applauded in all the right spots, and we were enchanted by their warm smiling, attentive faces. We even loved the two gentle souls who fell asleep. Let’s hope that this very special evening becomes an annual event.

I am so proud of the 16 adult cast and crew members who so graciously gave their time. There wasn’t space for our wondrous Junior Purimspielers, but 3 of them came and did their song and I also salute them. Talk about a SWFS "volunteer" bonanza. It doesn’t get better that this.

Norman Roth
SWFS Member and Purim Spiel Director

To find out how you can help make people smile through music, to tell us about how your 100 Minutes are making a difference, or to find out about other Community Service opportunities at SWFS, please contact Heather Stoltz at CommunityService@swfs.org or 212-877-4050 x244. Also contact Heather with any suggestions for potential service projects or programs.

Deborah Snyder and Family Bring the Holidays to those in Need

Our family had been looking for opportunities to volunteer, and Christmas Day was an ideal time. I contacted Heather Stoltz and through her found out about Christmas dinner at the Goddard Riverside Community Center.

My husband, James, our seven-year-old son, Benjamin, and I arrived at the Goddard Center at 88th and Columbus on Christmas morning. The organization serves Christmas dinner to more than 1,000 visitors and delivers meals to another 300 people who are homebound. It’s an extremely well-run operation. When we arrived, it was already buzzing with activity. There was a crew of people slicing hundreds of pies and a team slicing bread while other volunteers set tables with tablecloths and flowers.

Benjamin and I got sent to the cookie table where a team of six children formed an assembly line, filling plastic bags with cookies to be included in the meals to the homebound. The parents tied the bags and kept count. The kids were very efficient, packaging a couple thousand cookies in the course of the morning.

It’s a tremendous resource to have Heather and the community service office as one point of contact to identify multiple volunteer opportunities that meet any type of situation – weekends, weekdays, one-time and ongoing opportunities. We’re looking forward to our next volunteer opportunity soon.

Deborah Snyder
SWFS Member

Jeff Zimmerman Helps Feed the Homeless

In a city with as many needs as New York, you’d think it wouldn’t be that difficult to find the right place to do volunteer work.

But, for my daughter Amy and me, it was tougher than we expected. Every opportunity required either too much of a commitment, or too little; was too structured, or not structured enough; was too far away; or just didn’t seem immediate enough for us in terms of the contribution we could make.

As is often the case in life, though, we found the perfect solution right under our noses: at the synagogue we had recently joined, two blocks from our home on the Upper West Side. The SWFS Emergency Food Program gave us the opportunity to do something meaningful - together -- and to help our neighbors in need, every week.

Here’s what Amy and I starting doing on Saturday mornings. We’d go to the synagogue together at 8 am, and start putting fresh bread into plastic baggies, which were then loaded - along with fresh fruit - into bags of nutritious eats (tuna, fruit cup, apple sauce, cookies, milk and juice) that we had helped assemble the previous Saturday. We’d then help pour steaming hot chocolate into cups, and then give out the food and drink to hungry neighbors who start lining up a little before 8:30. Finally, we’d assemble bags for the following week.

With the passage of time, our roles at the Food Program have changed. Amy has become a teenager, and the allure of Saturday morning sleep after a week of late homework nights has become a bit too strong. Perhaps to compensate - but more because I just like doing it - I have taken on the role of Volunteer Coordinator, making sure that we have enough people to do the various jobs each Saturday morning. If you’re interested in helping us out - and we ALWAYS need more volunteers - please send me an email at jeff.zimmerman@twcable.com, and I’ll put you on our weekly email distribution list. I guarantee you a fun and rewarding experience, and I look forward to seeing you on Saturday mornings.

Jack Nelson, Age 5, Helps the Homeless

Jack Nelson has been exposed to and aware of the homeless situation in New York City since he was a little boy. He has always expressed a genuine concern for their well-being. He would ask us why they don’t live with their families, what they do in the rain and the cold and how they get money for food. We would do our best to answer his questions and instill in him the importance of helping those who are in need of help.

Last year at the Early Child Center at SWFS, Jack was exposed to the lives of the homeless on a much more personal level. One of the highlights of Jack’s year in Pre-K was a program called Mitzvah Makers. Jack and his classmates spent time creating art and cooking for the men at the SWFS Men’s Shelter. Jack was so excited when one of the men from the shelter spent an afternoon in his class. When Jack’s class created a beauty salon, Davey came to the class for some “treatments”. The image of Jack brushing Davey’s hair was captured in Mariano Wainsztein’s documentary and touched many. Jack also attended an evening at the Men’s Shelter with his classmates to sing to the men. Unbeknownst to us, Jack had drawn a picture to give to one of the men at the shelter and also filled an entire tzedakah box for the men as gifts. He ventured out of the crowd of children to deliver his gifts and spent some time talking directly with the men.

This past summer, Jack and his brother Lucas asked if they could set up a lemonade stand by the beach in Spring Lake, New Jersey. They went with us to the store to get all the supplies they needed. They baked cookies and made fresh lemonade. The Nelson brothers took care of all facets of the business, including making signs, setting the prices, collecting the money and making change. Along the way, a customer asked the boys what they were going to do with the money from the lemonade stand. Jack declared that he was going to give it to the men at the Stephen Wise Men’s Shelter in New York City. Jack’s response was completely unaided and even surprised his parents. It lit up the faces of the customers, and as word spread, they began collecting several times the asking price of 50 cents per cup as “tips”. By the time they were sold out, Jack and Lucas had raised over $50.

Our friend once shared with us that they give their children $3 allowance per week - $1 to save, $1 to spend and $1 to give to a charity of their choice. We really liked the values that instilled, and brought it to our home. We asked Jack if he wanted to apply the same rule to the lemonade stand proceeds, where he and his brother could spend a third, save a third and give away a third. They declined, and at Jack’s suggestion, all of it was given to the shelter.

Upon returning to SWFS (Jack currently attends kindergarten at Friends Seminary) this fall to present the money to the shelter, Jack heard something that he hadn’t expected. His buddy Davey was no longer at the shelter - he got a job and was renting an apartment. The news brought a great big smile to his face and the smile returns every time he speaks of him.

Wendy and Rich Nelson
SWFS Members

Jill Kaplan Cooks for the SWFS Shelter

It was last year on Rosh Hashanah, after hearing Rabbi Hirsch talk about the 100 Minutes Project, that a bell rung loud and clear for me. In November 2002 I was diagnosed with non-Hodgkin’s Lymphoma, and after a hard battle with it, I am in remission and hope to stay that way. At the time of my diagnosis I was doing private catering. I had attended cooking school and trained to be a chef. After graduating, I decided to do private catering. However, because of the long hours of standing, lifting, cutting and chopping that are involved with catering, I had to stop that line of work after my cancer treatments, as I no longer had the physical stamina to do that kind of job. For most of my adult life I had loved to cook and bake, and after my cancer treatment, it was something I could no longer do.

But on Rosh Hashanah 2007, Rabbi Hirsch’s request for each congregant to donate 100 minutes of their time sounded just right to me. I thought to myself: I can cook for the men at the shelter, feel good about doing it, contribute my time, use my cooking skills and do what I love to do. And by then I had regained enough strength to be able to be on my feet cooking for 100 minutes and more.

So, I have spent the past year cooking meals for the men when I can. Anything from a hardy beef stew to a birthday cakes. I was also able, with the help of Ania Yorinks to prepare food for the Volunteer’s Party, which was held to thank all the other volunteers who work at and for the shelter.

This experience has made me feel more a part of the Stephen Wise community. I felt it was my responsibility to do volunteer work as long as I was physically able to do it. My husband Myron and I have three children who attended Hebrew school and were bar and bat mitzvah’d at the synagogue, so that prior experience gave me wonderful memories of Stephen Wise, and I feel I have made a connection again by cooking for the shelter.

I am thankful I’m able to give back to the SWFS community and hope others will consider doing the same. I am sure there are a lot more congregants out there who can also make a good mac and cheese casserole or plate of chocolate chip cookies for the men!

Jill Kaplan
SWFS Member

To find out how you can help the Next Step! Men’s Shelter, to tell us about how your 100 Minutes are making a difference, or to find out about other Community Service opportunities at SWFS, please contact Heather Stoltz at CommunityService@swfs.org or 212-877-4050 x244. Also contact Heather with any suggestions for potential service projects or programs.

The Kolleeny Family Volunteers for Special Olympics

Our family was in Synagogue on the second day of Rosh Hashanah when Rabbi Hirsch announced the 100 Minutes Project. I looked at my husband and we immediately realized that this was a great opportunity--we had been wanting to give back something to our community and to serve as a family. For us, that means my husband Steve and our four year-old daughter Natalie and me.

So I contacted Heather Stoltz who assured me that there were many ways we could help. First, we delivered packages to the elderly for Purim, and we had such a great experience that we also delivered packages on Pesach. The joy on the faces of our elders when they answered the door and saw Natalie beaming back at them and holding their package of goodies and holiday cheer warmed our hearts.

Another opportunity to give back soon came away. I have a gymnastics background and have always wanted to work with developmentally challenged youth. When Heather contacted me about the opportunity that our family could help out at a Special Olympics gymnastics competition in Brooklyn, we were very excited because it fit our goals so perfectly. We three had such a marvelous afternoon helping to coach, score and award these dedicated young athletes. We felt that it was such a meaningful way for our family to spend the Sunday of Memorial Day weekend, making it a special day for those kids and young adults who work so hard and exult at their successes. The spark in the eyes of these competitors, who inspired us by helping one another and cheering each other on, to the special pride and joy of their families will be something that we three will remember for a very long time. I am sure that there will be many other such wonderful experiences for us down the road.

Eva Kolleeny,
SWFS Member

Tell us what you’re doing to help others!
To tell us about how your 100 Minutes are making a difference, or to find out about other Community Service opportunities at SWFS, please contact Heather Stoltz CommunityService@swfs.org or 212-877-4050 x244. Also contact Heather with any suggestions for potential service projects or programs.

Pat Cagin Knits for Charity

When I saw that SWFS was starting a group that was knitting for charity, I thought it would be a fun way to give back my 100 minutes and get out of the house while my husband was away. Norm is a physician and donating time as the only cardiologist in the public sector in all of Botswana (the only other cardiologist in the country is in the private fee-for-service sector). He is seeing patients who have heart problems at Princess Marina Hospital in Gabarone, the capital of Botswana. The hospital is the major referral hospital for the entire nation. He is also giving lectures and teaching interns from Botswana as well as medical students from the University of Pennsylvania. While he is volunteering his time abroad, I have been able to give back in my own way by knitting squares for blankets that will be given to adolescents living in a residential treatment center in Westchester.

The knitting group at SWFS was also a good opportunity to learn how to knit. I often needlepoint or crochet but had not knitted in a long time. Making these squares has given me a chance to practice my knitting skills and the confidence to try new patterns. It has also been a great way to meet other SWFS member and see some of the people in the building. Seeing Vicky, Rutie, Lorie, and the children walk through the library while we were knitting brings back memories of when my daughter Julia was in the ECC 12 years ago. She met one of her best friends when they were both in 503. Not only have I met some SWFS members I may not have otherwise had a chance to speak with, but I also learned about a nut free bakery from of the knitters whose daughter also has a nut allergy.

Knitting is an easy and relaxing way to make a difference in someone else’s life while talking to others or sitting at home. In addition to knitting with the group at the synagogue, I have been making squares at home while watching TV. I am grateful for Heather’s patience with all of us as we work though our knitting errors. I hope to continue making squares over the summer and maybe try some other projects for those in need.

Pat Cagin
SWFS Member

You can knit for charity, too! So far, SWFS has made 4 stuffed toys for children at St. Luke’s Hospital and 26 blanket squares for adolescents living in a residential treatment center in Westchester! St. Luke’s is always looking for more stuffed toys for their children and it takes 49 squares to make a blanket, so anything you can make would be appreciated. To find out how you can help knit for charity, to tell us about how your 100 Minutes are making a difference, or to find out about other Community Service opportunities at SWFS, please contact Heather Stoltz at CommunityService@swfs.org or 212-877-4050 x244. Also contact Heather with any suggestions for potential service projects or programs.

The Riffkin/Turner Family Helps People in Need

Alan and I joined Stephen Wise Free Synagogue when we started our family and wanted to become a part of a Jewish community. As we have gone on to have three daughters, Kelsey, Hallie, and Carson, Stephen Wise has become an important community for each of us. We also want to include our children in social service projects to help them develop an awareness of needs in the greater community and share a sense of responsibility to give back to the community. Our family has had the opportunity to participate in community service programs both within and outside of Stephen Wise. We have been assisting SWFS’ Emergency Food Program (EFP) in handing out food on Saturday mornings since the girls were old enough to say "Thank you for coming." The kids enjoy preparing bags, greeting people, and handing out food. The people who come to the program to receive food always comment on how nice it is to see the kids. Behind the scenes, I am responsible for ordering fresh food for the EFP each week and managing its inventory, coordinating tuna and coat drives, etc.

Our family also has a tradition to assist a soup kitchen in serving a Thanksgiving meal to the homeless each year. Alan takes the kids while I’m usually cooking. They have done various jobs from setting the table, greeting people, and serving food. It’s always a little hard to pull them away from the parade, but they enjoy it when once they get involved, and feel proud afterwards. We also assist DOROT in delivering holiday baskets to Jewish homebound elderly. The seniors love to have kids in their home and share stories with us about when their children were growing up and how they celebrated the holidays. Our kids remember the various seniors that we have met by name, and enjoy reminding us of their visit when we pass by an individual’s building at a later time. We look forward to exploring more areas for volunteering as the children get older.

Anne Turner SWFS Member

To find out how you can help the Emergency Food Program or DOROT, to tell us about how your 100 Minutes are making a difference, or to find out about other Community Service opportunities at SWFS, please contact Heather Stoltz at CommunityService@swfs.org or 212-877-4050 x244. Also contact Heather with any suggestions for potential service projects or programs.

Lauren Grossman and Carl Steeg Deliver Purim Cheer with the Caring Community

It was a very gratifying experience; most of the recipients were elderly, and they seemed very pleased to receive the packages. One said "You’ve made my day. Now I have the energy to get up and get going!" It also was an opportunity to get to know Carl, who is a very interesting and compassionate person. I became friendly with another recipient who lived near me, and I became her "caring partner." She had just gone through an illness, and I made it a point to call her frequently. My husband and I took her to the Conservatory Garden in Central Park one Sunday, and she was delighted to sit in the sunshine and view all the beautiful flowers. She moved to Florida in the fall, but we still keep in touch by phone. Last summer, I became the caring partner for another congregant who was just recovering from an illness. She has completely recovered now, and we have become good friends. We&rsquot;ve discovered many common interests, and we get together frequently to attend theater, go to a museum, etc.

This year, Carl and I helped to deliver Purim packages again, on Sunday, March 16th. This time was a little different, because the recipients included three families with young children, and they seemed absolutely delighted to receive the packages! I hope to keep the delivering Shalach Manot as an annual activity, since it has been fun and rewarding. In addition, I may try out some of the many other opportunities for community service sponsored by Stephen Wise.

To find out how you can help the Caring Community, to tell us about how your 100 Minutes are making a difference, or to find out about other Community Service opportunities at SWFS, please contact Heather Stoltz at CommunityService@swfs.org or 212-877-4050 x244. Also contact Heather with any suggestions for potential service projects or programs.

To see other ways you can help, click on one of the options below to see the many ways your 100 Minutes can make a difference. Also check out the Mitzvah of the Month.

• SWFS Service Programs
• Upcoming Events: Volunteers Needed
• Family Friendly Volunteer Opportunities
• How Teens Can Help
• Volunteering on a Tight Schedule
• All Volunteer Opportunities by Type of Program