To ring in the Jewish New Year, more than 100 people gathered at both JCC’s in Squirrel Hill and South Hills to celebrate and help give back to our community.
Volunteers spent their time packing care kits filled with donation items that will be given right back to the Pittsburgh community. Care kits are being provided to local organizations fighting food and job insecurity, poverty, and homelessness, including East End Cooperative Ministry, Christian Church of Wilkinsburg, JF&CS and South Hills Interfaith Movement. In addition, scores of participants took care kits with them to give to people they see during their daily routine who need some kindness.
“Coming together for Rosh Hashanah and hearing the shofar blast as we assembled Care Kits as a community for people in need of a little kindness was a meaningful and fun way to perform a mitzvah and welcome the new year.” Community Engagement and Development Officer Melissa Hiller said.
“The JCC is my second home but the first thing I love to do is give it back to the community and this is such a joyous moment for me and for my husband and it’s a delight to see how many participants there are and the people that care. That’s what this is all about connecting with one another, connecting with people that we don’t know and sharing ourselves and not enough people do that and I’m glad that I’m able to participate.” JCC Member Arlene Weintraub said.
Overall, more than 1,200 care kits were packed and will be distributed throughout our community. We are so thankful for those who got involved, donated, and helped us ring in the New Year by giving back to those in need of a little kindness.
Thanks to our community partners including PJ Library, 10.27 Healing Partnership, the Jewish Federation of Greater Pittsburgh, Rodef Shalom Congregation, Temple Sinai, Beth El Congregation-South Hills, Temple Emanuel South Hills, Squirrel Hill Urban Coalition, Kesher Pittsburgh, Repair the World, and Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh for making Start the New Year with a Mitzvah a resounding success.
