Mitzvah Day delivers the goods for charities

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This article was published 14/11/2020 (2158 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

In Judaism, a mitzvah is regarded as a commandment to do good deeds or acts of kindness. On Sunday, members of Winnipeg’s Jewish community will do thousands of them during the city’s second annual Mitzvah Day.

Organized by the National Council of Jewish Women of Canada (Winnipeg), the day will find 19 local organizations and synagogues asking supporters and members to give non-monetary donations to local charities helping Winnipeg’s most vulnerable citizens.

“A mitzvah is a central tenant of Judaism to do good things for others,” said Sharon Graham, who is organizing the event in Winnipeg. “It’s something everyone can do.”

Last year, 12 organizations and synagogues participated in the day. “It’s growing,” Graham said, adding she was excited to get commitments this year from more groups.

This year’s event is different due to the pandemic, she said; normally people could come together to collect items, work on projects or volunteer at local charities. “Everything is being done safely, conscious of the pandemic.”

At the same time, Mitzvah Day is even more important now, “when things feel very scary, when the world is shaky,” she said. “It’s a great opportunity at this time to do something good and positive, something beneficial for others.”

Doing good can also benefit givers, Graham added. “Even if we are feeling low, we can feel better by doing something to help others, even if it is small.”

The event in Winnipeg is patterned after Mitzvah Day in the United Kingdom, billed as that country’s largest faith-led day of social action. It was brought to Winnipeg by Ellyn Shulman, a member of the National Council.

“It’s a great way to bring people in the city together and be part of something bigger,” Graham said. “It’s nice to see all the different groups being part of it.”

Groups participating this year in Winnipeg include: Temple Shalom (collecting non-perishable food items for Jewish Child and Family Services); Shalom Residence (collecting non-perishable food items for Winnipeg Harvest); staff of Jewish Federation of Winnipeg (preparing snack packages for Agape Table); Rady Jewish Community Centre (collecting socks, toques, mittens, and non-perishable food for Winnipeg Harvest and Agape Table); Chesed Shel Emes (collecting winter clothing, food and hygiene items for North Point Douglas Women’s Centre); and the local branch of the National Council (collecting items for welcome packages for Alpha House family shelter).

“Every day is Mitzvah Day,” Graham said. “We can be kind every day of the year.”

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