Milwaukee’s Jewish Teens Help Save the Day at Teen Day of Social Action 2009

On Sunday, April 5, thirty-two Jewish teens from the general community and from several area congregational schools and organizations joined forces to help Milwaukee ’s needy Jewish families at the fourth annual Teen Day of Social Action, a joint project of Coalition for Jewish Learning (CJL) and Tikkun Ha-Ir of Milwaukee. This year’s event focused on supporting Milwaukee’s Moath Chitim project, an annual program that provides traditional Seder foods to those in need. This time honored project was in peril due to lack of funding. Thanks to the efforts of the Wisconsin Council of Rabbis and the Jewish Community Pantry as well as CJL and Tikkun Ha-Ir, families throughout the community donated matzah, grape juice and gefilte fish for families in need. 

The day began as buses and cars dropped teens at the Milwaukee Jewish Home and Care Center , where they assembled to pack packages of Passover staples. A long line of people—most of them elderly Russian immigrants—awaited the teens as they arrived. The teens quickly went to work, forming themselves into an assembly line in order to put together the food packages. Over 500 packages of food were picked up at the Milwaukee Jewish Home and Care Center, and leftover packages were distributed to needy home s as well. All told, over 575 families received packages of Passover food.

When they finished packing, the teens discussed the impact the morning had on them. It was obvious that it had been a moving experience.  One teen felt rewarded by “seeing the smile on people’s faces to be able to have their own Seder event if before today they may not have been able to afford it.” Another said “I think the most rewarding part was seeing how happy the people were about celebrating Passover. Yet another liked “helping others and seeing how much I was able to affect them.” One teen was proud “that I was doing something for other people and not just myself.”

Another “really loved seeing all of the bags that we made together! It was a group effort.”

The Coalition for Jewish Learning and Tikkun Ha-Ir of Milwaukee would like to thank all the teen volunteers and youth serving agencies that helped make this day so meaningful.

View photos from the event here.

Area Jewish Teens Make a Difference at Teen Day of Social Action 2007

On Sunday, March 25, approximately forty Jewish teens gathered to help the needy at the second annual Jewish Teen Day of Social Action, a joint project of Coalition for Jewish Learning and Tikkun Ha-Ir of Milwaukee.

The day began at the Kosher Meat Klub warehouse, where teens gathered to pack Passover food to distribute to Milwaukee’s poor Jewish families. As teens arrived, they were greeted by a long line of people—most of them elderly Russian immigrants—who were waiting in the fog to receive packages of kosher chicken and other Passover staples.  The teens quickly went to work, forming themselves into an assembly line in order to put together the food packages. About 300 people came to pick up food for Passover, and leftover packages were distributed to needy homes as well.

But the day did not end there.  The teens stopped for lunch at Lake Park Synagogue and then split into groups to travel to various social agencies around the city.  Teens could chose from several locations, depending on their interests. Volunteers who liked to work with children went to the La Causa Emergency Nursery, a shelter with social services and programs for families.  Others went to the Guest House, an emergency men’s shelter that offers meals, counseling and free classes.  There they worked in the kitchen and helped sort food.  At Meta House, the teens ran a treasure hunt and made collages to hang up in people’s apartments.  At Pathfinders, they joined the clientele in making a peace banner.

Teens later returned to Lake Park Synagogue to discuss the events of the day.  It was clear that they felt both gratified and challenged.   Many said, “The helping just felt good!” and  “It was fun to see children smile.”  Some teens were surprised to find the children they met at the various agencies to be so strong and resilient.  Others found knowing that they could make a difference just be being there and being friendly to be the biggest lesson of the day.  They were truly surprised at how little they had to do to make an impact.

Coalition for Jewish Learning and Tikkun Ha-Ir of Milwaukee would like to thank all the teen volunteers, adult mentors and agencies who helped make this day so meaningful.

View Kipp Friedman’s photos of this event.

 Read Riverside High School senior Chana Ellman’s article about Teen Day of Social Action 2007 in JVIBE Magazine.

See Wisconsin Jewish Chronicle coverage of Teen Day of Social Action.

On Sunday, April 2, forty-one Milwaukee area Jewish teens lived out their Jewish values at the Teen Day of Social Action, a joint program of Tikkun Ha-Ir of Milwaukee and the Coalition for Jewish Learning.

Teens earned credit for service hours while learning about social action from a Jewish perspective. The morning program began with welcome speeches and a discussion of poverty and the environment by Rabbi Shlomo Levin. Teens then participated in their choice of two activities. Some learned how families survive on a drastically limited budget at the Hunger Task Force’s simulation “Food for Today.” One teen called the most challenging part of this session “imagining having to feed a family of eight with only $11.00 a day in real life.” Other teens identified how their talents could be used to help others at a workshop with playwright and director Sherri Williams-Pannell and David McKinney, Vice President of Alumni Programs for Public Allies.

After a vegetarian and dairy kosher lunch, the teens volunteered at seven different agencies that work in the areas of poverty, hunger, shelter, health issues and the environment. They painted, helped with indoor and outdoor cleanup of the agency sites, packed boxes of kitchen supplies for formerly homeless people moving into apartments, and did an art project with homeless children and their mothers. Each of the work assignments at the various agencies was linked to a Jewish value.

The day opened the eyes of many of the participants. Some teens learned about “how the poor manage their money” and “what life is like as an adult.” Others realized “through the Hunger Task Force simulation that hunger is real.” By “seeing how hard it was for people to …be homeless” and “seeing what the [homeless] women went through,” teens understood “how hard the poor’s life is.”

Nonetheless, it was an enjoyable day. One teen had a great time “playing Connect Four with a young boy and seeing how we both had fun.” Another was moved at “seeing how happy they were to see us.” Everyone loved “the feeling of helping others” or “helping the community.” One teen was proud of “the fact that I helped someone start new.” Another said, “The environment was friendly and peaceful, [and there were] nice leaders and staff members.”

Students will be able to continue these service-learning relationships with the people and agencies they meet that day. In fact, the teens that went to Meta House had such a great time that they are already planning to return for another visit!

Read Michelle Langer’s article in JVIBE Magazine about her experience at Teen Day of Social Action.

Click here to read Wisconsin Jewish Chronicle coverage of this event