THIRD GRADERS from Congregation Beth Israel help sort and bag items at the Sunshine Pantry

Beth Israel children reach out

By JEWISH REVIEW

article created on: 2009-01-01T00:00:00

While the stock market fluctuates wildly, and people all over the country are finding ways to cut back, the children of Congregation Beth Israel are reaching out to help others in the community.

Within the religious school, students in kindergarten through fifth grade have collected more than $700 in tzedakah, which will be allocated to area agencies, including Oregon Food Bank, Doernbecher Children’s Hospital and Oregon Humane Society.

One third-grade class has chosen to again partner with Sunshine Pantry, taking on a special “Giving Menorah” project during December.  Based on the concept of a Giving Tree, the students and their teacher, Iris Avedovech, are building a large menorah to which they will attach cards with wish list items.  

Sharon Straus, who founded Sunshine Pantry in the early 1980s, provided the list to the children and will make sure each item gets to a specific person in need. The students visited the Pantry’s Beaverton warehouse in mid-October and were able to assist Sharon to help get the morning’s store donation ready for Monday’s clients.  There were bagels and donuts to be bagged and many salads, yogurts and cottage cheeses to refrigerate.   

“As always, our trip to Sunshine Pantry was a wonderful experience for all the children and parents,” said Avedovech.  “Our ongoing involvement with the Sunshine Pantry is a highlight of my teaching year.  I hope the Giving Menorah will bring in many more much-needed items.”

The Temple’s preschool classes continue to work with Children’s Relief Nursery and the Children’s Program of Cascade AIDS Project. For the second year in a row, the preschool has adopted families in need through CRN and will collect items such as clothes, baby food, toys, DVDs and wrapping paper to help make the holidays happy for those families.  

Beth Israel Early Childhood Education Director Shelley Sanders said that the Children’s Program at CAP has asked specifically for baby gates and diapers.  Sanders sent an email out to her families that morning, and by afternoon pick-up the hallway outside her office was overflowing with boxes of diapers and multiple gates.  

I was overwhelmed by the immediate response to the request,” Sanders said.  “I had to call CAP and ask them to come get the items right away.”  

She said she is constantly amazed by the generosity of her preschool families: “The example these parents set for their children is wonderful. Our youngest students – 2-, 3- and 4-year-olds – are learning that part of being Jewish is caring about others and giving. That kind of early education is priceless.”

As part of the “Being Jewish in the World” curriculum, middle school families are working with BINA – Beth Israel’s Never Again Committee – to respond to the genocide in Darfur by means of a Postcard Brigade.  

Families are asked to donate $5 per month. In return, BINA provides pre-addressed, stamped postcards with timely messages for leaders who can make a difference in what is happening in Darfur. Participants need only to add their return addresses, signatures and mail the cards.  

When the Postcard Brigade fund reaches $50 it will be sent to an organization that helps the people affected by the ongoing genocide.  BINA is a sub-committee of Beth Israel’s Social Action Council and focuses on education and uniting the Jewish community to stand together against the genocide in Darfur.  
Julie Lipson, a teacher and youth advisor at Beth Israel, leads BINA and welcomes community involvement.  For more information, contact her at JBLipson@gmail.com.