I have always believed that each of us has the potential to affect real and lasting positive change in the world through acts of tzedakah and loving-kindness directed toward our fellow beings, our environment, and the animal kingdom. Who wouldn't? No matter how small an act of chesed we involve ourselves in, we may never really know the ultimate impact it can have on those we touch.
A little over two years ago, I had the opportunity to travel to Israel with Danny Siegel on his Jewish Educator's Mitzvah Heroes trip, a programme established through the Ziv Tzedakah Fund. My experience with Danny, his colleagues Naomi Eisenberger and Arnie Draiman, along with sixteen other Jewish educators from across North America, was transformational, to say the least, and one which I will never forget.
After twelve intensive days studying Torah and modern texts, meeting Danny's "Mitzvah Heroes," as well as participating in a variety of tzedakah projects, my life was inexorably changed. I believe that this trip affected each of us in a profound and powerful way. There was simply something magical about meeting and learning from each of these giants, from the Rabbanit Kapach, a tiny lady with an enormous heart, who has helped tens of thousands of people through her tzedakah work, to Barbara Silverman and her mission to provide packages of comfort to IDF soldiers,
As Jewish educators, we quickly came to realize that the lessons we learned from our shared and individual experiences we would surely bring home to our schools, our synagogue communities, and into our hearts. I am confident in saying that after the trip experience we all placed the ideals of tikkun olam higher up on our list of life's priorities.
It was only when I returned home to Vancouver that I came to realize just how profound the experience had been. I quickly began to develop programmes that would highlight and benefit the work of some of the people we met. I never imagined how successful my community would be when they committed to raising funds for Birthday Angels, a group begun by Ruthie Sobel Luttenberg which provides birthday parties for thousands of disadvantaged children of all backgrounds throughout Israel.
In addition to being moved by the stories and work of the amazing individuals we visited, perhaps the most important inspiration I gleaned from my fellow educators on this trip involved our discussions about tzedakah projects they had been involved in with their communities, a common one being a synagogue "Mitzvah Day." I was well aware of this concept, especially as our local Jewish high school had been running such an event for several years. Upon returning from our trip I decided to take this idea to my community, Congregation Har El in West Vancouver, where I work as Youth Director. However, I wanted this particular Mitzvah Day to be more than simply a Jewish event. For me, the idea of working to repair the world had to be more global in nature; the involvement of other faith communities working together toward a common goal was an essential component in the equation. I therefore took it upon myself to seek out other faith communities who might be willing to work with us on this event, to join us in "healing the world." To my delight, the United Church and the Bahá'í Community were as eager as I was in making this happen. We became a trio in harmony and that made all of the difference in our program.
For three months, the planning committee met almost weekly to prepare for our event, which we dubbed "Be the Change; Heal the World." The concept was simple: an interfaith, social action-based event that addressed the needs of the local community. We chose causes that addressed homelessness, hunger, the environment, seniors, women, children, and animal welfare. We came up with 14 separate action projects, ranging from letter-writing to prison inmates, renovating a bunny house at an animal shelter, giving manicures to women at a shelter, preparing an urban garden at a teen safe house, assembling care kits for women in crisis, preparing packed lunches for distribution to homeless people, performing in an interfaith choir to seniors, removing ivy in a park, and more.
As I had hoped, the event was an overwhelming success. Close to 200 people aged five to eighty-five from all three faiths arrived bright and early on a Sunday morning in May to make a difference in our world. We began with a ceremonial blowing of the shofar and the reciting of Bahá'í and Christian blessings, which gave meaning to our cause. Projects were carried out in groups and upon completion, we gathered to celebrate, to share, and to connect with one another at a vegetarian BBQ.
I have organized many events in my personal and professional life, but "Be the Change" was one of the most rewarding. There is something special in knowing that so many lives have been touched in such a positive way, either by those who gave that day, or by those who received. After already having received requests from other local faith communities to join us next year, I am positive that this is, indeed, the start of something big.
Andréa Woolfson Milman was born and raised in Dublin, Ireland. After making aliyah, she studied at the Hebrew University and served in the IDF (Nachal Brigade). In 1989, Andréa relocated to Canada with her husband Warren, where she continued her studies and earned further degrees.
As a resident of Vancouver, BC Andréa worked as an educator in the Jewish Day School system for twelve years before changing her focus to work with Jewish youth in the informal education setting. Currently, she holds the position of Youth Director at Congregation Har El, where she has established a local USY chapter. Andréa has remained committed to USY both at the chapter and regional level and she further serves Jewish youth as Summer Assistant Director at Camp Solomon Schechter in Washington.
Andréa and her husband are the parents of two teen-aged daughters.
