Synagogue hosts day of service for families

Posted

Central Synagogue - Beth Emeth held a day of service on the weekend of Martin Luther King Jr. Day, offering families a chance to come together and contribute to the community. The event was organized by Jeff Kelman, the new director of the synagogue’s Hebrew school, or “the Jewish Experience,” along with volunteers and staff.

“Even though it was a day off, I wanted to do something because it was Martin Luther King weekend,” Kelman said. “We had about 40 people there, families, kids, families, the preschool, and we also had board members who came as well to share their support.”

The “two-pronged event,” Kelman said, began on the morning of Jan. 19 with kids baking challah with their families. Under the guidance of Kelman’s wife, children decorated their loaves of bread with a variety of toppings, including marshmallows, chocolate sprinkles and multi-colored sprinkles. “The kids had a chance to make two challahs to take home, and they could basically garnish it however they wanted,” Kelman said.

In addition to the baking activity, the synagogue’s volunteers and young participants also wrote letters to Israeli soldiers. The children created their own personal greeting cards, decorated with messages of support and encouragement for those serving in Israel. 

“I knew that the soldiers in Israel really needed some comfort,” Kelman said. “It’s been a very difficult time, and I’ve been sending letters for all the programs I work for for quite some time now, and the feedback has been tremendous from the soldiers.”

The event ran from 9:30 a.m. to 12:00 p.m., offering families a chance to spend their morning connecting and participating in these activities during a holiday weekend. 

“Although the Hebrew schools are mostly always closed, it pays to open up and do some type of a day of service program,” Kelman said, “because people are home and they’re looking for something to do.”

This initiative was part of Kelman’s broader efforts to engage the community with enriching and enjoyable learning experiences. Since joining the synagogue less than a month ago, on Jan. 1, Kelman has been working to expand the Hebrew School’s offerings, including a new Tuesday enrichment session for kids in grades two to seven and a new teen program that is still in development. 

“We’ve increased the program to add an enrichment session on Tuesday afternoons,” he said. “This is a new thing, to give them another opportunity to have some fun. We focus on fun learning. We do some singing, some videos, Jewish videos, crafts, programs, story telling, and the kids are having a ball.”

Looking ahead, the synagogue has additional community events planned, including a family-friendly Tu B’Shevat Seder and party on Feb. 2 and a chocolate-themed Shabbat service on Feb. 8.

For more information about upcoming events, email Kelman at eddirector@csbeli.org or call (516) 766-4300.