Archive | Tzedakah RSS feed for this section

My Wishes for a New Year

31 Dec

May 2026 bring peace to the world.

May there be a change in our government that will help people with health care by extending the subsidies; end unnecessary tariffs that are hurting our farmers and causing food prices to rise dramatically; and have a Congress that once again works together for all the people of the United States, of all races, religions, creeds, genders, countries of origin, and social strata.

May America become a peaceful welcoming country once more.

May the great divide between political parties ease so that we work together for a common good once more. Where are the moderate compromisers who once lead the USA to success? May they return to serve our country.

May there be successful work to end gun violence. Schools should be safe and not the location of the mass murders that are raging against our country’s children.

May there be an end to Jew Hatred! May the world unite to stop violence against Jews and end the uprise in Anti-Semitism. Hating one group leads to more hate. It needs to end.

May the world unite to stop violence and wars in Ukraine, Sudan, Nigeria, Israel. May Russian finally end its attacks on Ukraine. May Islamic Jihadist stop killing Christians in Sudan and Nigeria. May the Druze and Christians in Syria be safe from violence. May Lebanon once again have a free and independent country free from Iran influenced Hezbollah.

May terrorism of all kinds be eradicated from the world allowing people to live their lives in peace and in joy with their neighbors.

May the terrorist rulers of Iran finally be overthrown allowing Iran to be restored to a country that lives in peace with the world, and does not financially support terrorist groups, but instead works for the benefit of its citizens.

I know that I am asking for much to happen in one year. But if I don’t ask and work toward it nothing will happen. So I pray that more people will work to be a light in the world to spread truth and work to end hatred.

Honoring Those Who Do Good In Times Of Crisis

28 Jun

The Lowell Milken Center For Unsung Heroes has exhibits that all children and adults 12 and older should experience. A friend and I went there specifically to see the Anne Frank Exhibit, “Anne Frank: A History for Today,” which is now completed. But that was just a minor part of this learning experience. Since that special exhibit is over, this blog will focus on the usual museum sights.

First Panel of Anne Frank Exhibit

Located just two short blocks from the Ft. Scott National Historic Site, the Lowell Milken Center, is a wonderful place to learn about people who stand up and do good in times of crisis.  The centerpiece of the museum is “Irena Sendler: Life In A Jar,” the story of Irena Sendler, a Polish social worker, who saved over 2500 children from the Warsaw Ghetto during World War Two. She had a group of about 20 people who helped her. But it was Sendler who organized the group and saved the names of the children who were rescued.

Irena herself was rescued from obscurity by a group of high school children from a small town in Kansas. Their discovery led them to find out Irena was alive. They had the chance to meet her and wrote a play about her that has been shown hundreds of times, which led to Irena being nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize. Unfortunately, she passed away before she could be recognized as the prize cannot be awarded to someone who is deceased.  Her story and the story of the girls who brought her story to life is the centerpiece of the Center.

However, it is not just about Irena’s story.  There are many unsung heroes whose stories are on display at the Center. Each story was discovered by students and then written about for display at the Center. Student can enter their research into the Discovery Award competition which recognizes outstanding Unsung Heroes projects by students in grades 4-12.

In these times of increased online hatred and the rise of anti-immigration, ICE raids, and Jew Hatred, the Lowell Milken Center is an oasis of goodness.  Each panel tells the story of someone who stood up to be counted in times of peril, helping those in need. These people, of all religions, follow the Jewish value of doing good, repairing the world , “or “Tikun Olam.”

While we were there, we met briefly with a group of international teachers who had come to the Center to learn about the programs and how to bring it to their schools. The two people leading the discussions were part of the original Irena Sendler discovery: the high school history teacher and one of the students.  That student, Meagan, now works at the Lowell Milken Center. 

This brought me joy, as I saw the original play when the girls were in high school and they presented in Kansas City.  Then a few years later, I saw the expanded play as well.  My friend had seen it with me. We were pleasantly surprised to meet her.  She told the international teachers that we had seen the play!  Smiles all around. It was so wonderful to see that she continues to dedicate her life to teaching others to do good!

I have written about Ft Scott before. (See blog below.). So I will tell you that an excellent summer field trip day with your middle school and older children would be to visit Ft. Scott in the morning. There is a Park Ranger to help as you walk around the site, clean bathrooms and a store. Have lunch at one of Ft. Scott’s restaurants. 

Then during the heat of the day, go to the Lowell Milken Center to  immerse yourself and your children in goodness and kindness.  Your heart will be filled with the knowledge that there are truly good people in the world.

https://www.lowellmilkencenter.org/
https://www.yadvashem.org/righteous/stories/sendler.html?gad_source=1&gad_campaignid=45989503&gbraid=0AAAAAD1IFGM_bfUQWakp_GCm1-mc__KhT&gclid=EAIaIQobChMIlP22woCVjgMVZzbUAR3XcDlQEAAYASAAEgKelPD_BwE
A Day’s Escape to Ft. Scott
https://www.nps.gov/fosc/planyourvisit/index.htm

Tags: , , , , , , , , , ,

A Small Beacon of Hope On Yom HaShoah

27 Apr

My husband loves to assign movies to holidays that impact us.  For Fourth of July, we watched 1776; for Ground Hogs Day, we watch Ground Hogs Day; for Israel Independence, we watch Exodus; and for Yom HaShoah, we watch Schindler’s List.

I have known for several years now that one of my grandfather’s cousins, one of the very few who survived the Shoah, was on Schindler’s List and survived as a member of his work force.  It made me think of this movie in a different light, because now one of those working and surviving was someone I once knew. 

But this year, my view of the movie will change even more.  For the first time, I now know that my grandfather’s cousin, Shalom, was one of the people who served as a pallbearer for Oscar Schindler at his funeral.  And for the first time, I have found out that my distant cousin was one of at least 10 people from his community who were saved by Schindler.

(Many thanks to Izabela Sekulska and Mayn Shtetele Mielec for discovering this information.)

I had to wonder, did they know each other?  There were about 5,000 Jewish souls who lived in the area of Mielec.  Only 100-200 survived.  Once they became part of the Schindler work force, of course they new each other. But did they work together to survive?  Did they become part of this unusual group together?

I know of one other story like Schindler’s list. My good friend’s mother and grandmother survived the Shoah with about 100 other women who worked making clothes and shoes for the German army.  The man who ran this factory saved them several times.  Once keeping them at the factory even over night when there was typhus disease raging through the camp.  A second time he actually went to the camp and getting his workers out from a transport to a death camp, saying he did not want to train new workers.  

Did he do this because he was emotionally attached to his workers?  Did he really work to save them?  We will never know. But my friend’s mother and grandmother survived. I knew them as well.  Their story can be found at the San Antonio’s Holocaust Memorial Museum. 

So on this Yom HaShoah, I will have a small beacon of light thinking about my grandfather’s cousin, Shalom; my girlfriend’s mother, Anna, who were saved by their work in a factory.  And I will have hope because people like Izabela in today’s Poland work to keep the Jewish cemeteries in good order and to find out what happened to the Jewish people who disappeared over 80 years ago.

Tags: , , , , , ,

Asheville, NC.  Not the Blog I Planned to Write

2 Oct

My husband and I were in Ashville, North Carolina from September 19-21.  We then rented a car and drove first to Columbia, South Carolina, where we went to the University of South Carolina and lunch, and then on to Charleston.

I planned to write a glowing blog about how much I loved the hotel we stayed at in Asheville: The Omni Grove Park Inn.  A lovely 1912 hotel built out of Granite and overlooking the Blue Ridge Mountains.

I will not write about the hotel.   I know it is still standing, even though it is now closed.  I will not describe the places I saw on the Hop on/ Hop off tour I took, because the downtown and the arts center of Asheville are currently underwater or covered in mud.   I won’t tell you the joke our tour guide made about the French Broad River, because it crested high above flood stage and destroyed most of the town.  

What I will tell you is that Ashville was a beautiful quaint city with a lovely downtown.  The Arts area was covered in murals created by local artists.  And all the buildings were brimming with pieces created by local artists.  Now probably washed away, destroyed or at the least covered in muck and mud.

I will tell you about the black bears that calmly walked down the street and were shooed away by people standing on their porches.  I wonder how many survived.

While I was on my tour, the tour guide stopped to show us the white painted line on the side of a building to show us how high the flood of 1916 covered the town. I think the flood of 2024 was higher.

I do not know if any of the many people I met there who worked in the hotel or in town were hurt or injured or lost loved ones.  Lost their homes, their jobs and their sense of security.

I will say, Asheville and western North Carolina needs our help.  The highway we used to leave town, Highway 26, was closed for a while.  It is now open. But many roads are still closed, power is out, phone coverage is out, internet is out. There is a lack of water and food.

I will post here some of my photos from Asheville.  I hope that everyone can do what they can to help.  I know the Red Cross is collecting money to help.

I wish I was writing the blog I wanted to write about Asheville. We had a wonderful visit and met many lovely people.  We enjoyed our stay at the hotel imagining life there in the early 1920s.  I loved the little museum with information about their annual gingerbread house competition. How F. Scott Fitzgerald lived and wrote there. And the many famous people and presidents who visited the hotel.

I hope it does not take decades to recover.  But I know the entire western edge of North Carolina needs our help. The Red Cross is asking for volunteers to help with Hurricane Helene disaster relief, specifically people from Arkansas and Missouri who can go for two weeks. They also need financial donations. Here is the link to the Red Cross donation page.

Or you can go to the American Red Cross on your own to donate:  https://www.redcross.org/donate/donation.html/.

Tags: , , , , , , ,

My Mind Said, “just Do Something”

7 May

My mind said ‘just do something to help. It will make you feel hopeful and emotionally better.’  So when we got the invitation to celebrate our friend’s 60th birthday by volunteering at Heart to Heart International packing Personal Hygiene Kits, I knew I found the something to do!

Heart to Heart is a Lenexa, Kansas,  is a non-profit founded by a medical doctor in 1992 to provide medical supply airlifts and medical personnel to countries throughout the world facing disaster. It has sent help to over 100 countries, including Haiti, Vietnam, Liberia, Russia, India and more.  In the USA it helps during hurricane and other disaster relief, supplying medical teams and supplies. 

Heart to Heart personnel realized that during a disaster people needed personal hygiene supplies. The Personal Hygiene Kits (PHK) were developed, providing toothpaste. toothbrush, soap, shampoo and other items.  Millions have been distributed globally.

I have known about Heart to Heart for years, but I have never participated in their volunteer activities, nor had I been to the main headquarters in Lenexa.  That changed this past weekend.

Besides wanting to support our friend for his birthday, I must also say that I was drawn to this opportunity because Heart to Heart has been helping  victims on both sides of the Gaza conflict by providing hygiene bags and medical aid to Israelis who have been displaced, as well as providing supplies to the victims of the war Hamas started in Gaza. 

Not all charities have been even handed in their help, ignoring the suffering of Israelis.  Supporting Heart to Heart makes sense.  Everyone who faces a crisis throughout the world needs support.  Heart to Heart’s mission does not discriminate.

Our two-hour stint was delightful.  At first, we were assigned jobs to get the supplies ready.  I wrote information on to the PHK bags, while my husband had the opportunity to fold towels.  This gave him much joy, because he has been saying for years that when he retires as a doctor (with over 40 years of practice), he wants to fold towels at the gym.  I told him that he now has job experience to put on his application: one hour of towel folding at Heart to Heart.

We then joined the other 22 volunteers to start packing the hygiene kits.  Our job was to put the packed items into a larger draw-string bag for distribution. Our partners then put these in groups of 15 into a packing box to be shipped where needed.

While we packed there was lively music played to keep us moving. At times I could not help but dance as we packed or waited for more supplies.  All the time we were chatting with the other volunteers around us and enjoying the upbeat atmosphere. 

When we completed our two-hours shift, we gathered together for a group photo with the birthday boy and his wife.  The Heart tto Heart staff told us that we had packed 1250 Personal Hygiene Kits. Somewhere in the world, someone in need will get a towel my husband folded and a bag with my handwriting when they are most in need, as well as one that we packed.  That thought makes me feel better!

My mind was right, going to celebrate this birthday by volunteering at Heart to Heart International did help me.  I want to get a group together to do it again!

Home Workshed

Tags: , , , ,

My Last Ever Field Trip: Veteran’s Community Project

10 Jun

I retired.  I planned it since Thanksgiving weekend 2022.  I knew that at the end of the school year, I would be completing my almost 13 years as the fund development and public relations director for the the Accelerated Schools of Overland Park.  I loved my job.  I loved the people I worked with, the children we helped and the work I actually did.  When I turned in my keys and walked to my car, I had little tears and a feeling of melancholy.  I knew I was doing the right thing.  I was ready.  But a part of me was sad. I had so much joy in my job!  Including my final field trip in April. But first…

There were things I loved about my job.   I liked the part of the job that had to do with fundraising and PR.  That was what I was trained to do.  But what I had fun doing was all the extra stuff.  For years I planned the graduation and awards ceremonies.  I worked with the hotels or event sites and planned parties. Originally, I also planned all the staff parties and got the food and set them up.    During the past few years several teachers took that over.

For a long time, I scheduled speakers and kept schedules for the field trips.  The teachers planned these, but I would come up with some ideas and help out when needed.  Which was great for me, it gave me a reason to go to more museums.  And I love museums.   The speakers were really my main job.  We had parents sometimes, or just people I knew.  Veternarians, doctors, financial planners, artists, as well as speakers from different organizations like Metropolitan Organization to Combat Sexual Assault (MOCSA) and Midwest Center Holocaust Education (MCHE).  Once a  parent who was involved in Water.Org came.  That was great.

But what I really loved were the community service projects I got to arrange.  I arranged for recycling at the school.  I had someone from Johnson County government come to speak to the students and staff about recycling.  Then I was able to arrange for a non profit, L’Arche Heartland, that has a sheltered workshop.  They collect recycling from some offices as a job for their clients.  It was a perfect match, our school that caters to students who are different and thrive better in our school.  And the recycling collected by special needs adults. I loved that I was able to arrange that.

For several years before and after COVID we collected food for Harvesters.  In my early years we even had our older students go to Harvesters once a year and help at the warehouse.  Of course that stopped with COVID.

The last community service was one of my favorites.  I made contact with the Veteran’s Community Project (VCP) for our school to help them this year.  The wonderful Kristin Griffin, a VCP staff member,  came to speak to our students.  The student council had decided to up our collections and collected almost 250 pairs of socks before the talk in January 2023.  So when Kirsten came to talk, we gave her the socks.  Later in the year, during the month of February we collected hygiene products for the VCP. 

After Spring Break, the student council advisor, the three members of the student council and I went to the VCP campus to meet with Kristin and to tour it. I was so excited.  I had been watching the creation of this village since it started.  The idea of providing tiny homes for homeless veterans just touched my heart.  And to actually get to tour it and see it in person and to learn more about it was wonderful.  We got to go inside one of the tiny homes. We saw the ‘store’ area where any homeless veteran can come to get supplies. We learned about how they help all veterans.

I loved that in the Less Thompson Building there is a communal kitchen where residents learn to cook. Also offices for a doctor, dentist and veternerian to help with medical issues both human and companions. Social workers are on staff as well to help the veterans deal with other issues. The hope is that these veterans can transition to other homes and find jobs. There was so much more to see and learn about. What a wonderful idea that was conceived by veterans wanting to help other veterans. They were truly wonderful in their ambitions.

The Kansas City campus of VCP has started a nationwide trend. There are now VCP villages planned in six other cities with the national headquarters are here in KC. I read Jason Kander’s book, Invisible Storm, and was glad to know that someone who really understood the plight of veterans is now the CEO of VCP. We did not tour the national offices, but we could see the building across the street.

I was so impressed and so pleased to be able to go with the students on my last ever field trip to the Veteran’s Community Project.  It was a real moment of joy for my last year at the school.

https://www.veteranscommunityproject.org/

https://www.larcheks.org/

Home
Trash + Recycling

http://www.Acceleratedschoolsop.org

Tags: , , , ,

Kindness Will Heal the World

21 Dec

In April, after I had moved into my new home, I needed something to do other than unpack and feel panicked about the pandemic. I decided to take online classes, I chose the website Coursera. I started with the most popular course of all, Dr. Laurie Santos’ the “Pyschology of Wellbeing.” Dr. Santos teaches at Harvard University.

It was fantastic.  Her theories and work in positive psychology just touched my soul.  Because of the class, I started keeping in a nightly journal where I recorded each night one thing I savored, one good deed I did and three things that I was grateful for that day.  Her class focusing on learning to appreciate what we have and the importance of friends, family and memories only emphasized something I already knew and what she taught:  travel and seeing the world, making good memories,  was much more important than buying things.

But the most important point was the emphasis of kindness.  I always believed in doing a good deed every day, but according to the class the research has shown, that people who do good things for other people feel much better than those who do not. And they feel better for a longer time than just getting a good job and a pay raise.  Doing good, being kind, is the most important for happiness.

I started listening to her podcast, the Happiness Lab.  I also joined the Facebook page devoted to Dr. Santos’ lessons, The Happiness Lab Classroom.  In this time of stress and uncertainty and physical distancing, it helps to focus on the good.

I followed up that class with one called “Resilience Skills in a Time of Uncertainty.”  This course also focused on the theories of positive psychology. The instructor this time was Dr. Karen Reivich, who is the Director of Resilience Training at University of Pennsylvania.   Her lessons built on what I learned in Dr. Santos’ course.  Some of it was rehashing the same information.  But it reinforced and emphasized how to help yourself feel better.  For me,  what I learned, is that you do that by doing good.

After taking this class, I changed my journal entries.  I now write five things I am grateful for each evening.   What has this done for me?  Instead of going to bed worried about the world, the pandemic, the election, the craziness going on, I think about what I am thankful for and the good that I see.  It really makes all the difference.

What else has it done for me?  I was always a charitable person, but my husband and I have upped our donations especially to food pantries and organizations that do direct aid.  I have written letters to and called people who I think need a boost.   I have tried to let my friends know how much I appreciate them. I am focusing on doing at least two good deeds of kindness each day.  Kindness with conviction.  I would rather focus on that then being upset or annoyed.

I am also trying to watch more uplifting programs.  Forget all the gloom and doom movies and documentaries.   This led me to watch the most magnificent documentary about doing good I have ever seen.   I suggest everyone watch The Antidote.  I cried tears of joy throughout the movie as it tells the stories of nine people and organizations that help others in the most sensible and good ways. 

Every one of these programs should be followed throughout the country.  There were three that truly touched my heart. At Bridge Meadows in Portland, Oregon, foster care children and their ‘adoptive’ families live in a community with seniors.  Watching them interact brought joy and tears to my heart and eyes.

In Sullivan County, New York, the Center for Discovery, was amazing.  Since I spent every summer for over 25 years in Sullivan County, I was stunned to find out about this wonderful educational program and home for children and adults with complex disabilities.  And wonder of wonder, a friend of mine’s uncle spent most of his life here.  I am so impressed.

A nurse and doctor in Boston treat the homeless.  The doctor goes out into the streets to find people and care for them.  The nurse encourages into her clinic, where they soak the feet of the homeless who learn to trust them to get the care they need.  Wow.  Just watch.

The other six programs were wonderful as well.  Watch this movie.  Currently it is on Amazon Prime. If you want to bring some joy into your life and learn about more ways to help others.  Watch it.

Kindness is what will heal our world. Listening to others.  Being a friend. Appreciating what we can and helping others, in my mind, can make such a difference to the divide that is now hurting our country.  

Every human being deserves to live a life to the fullest of their abilities.  This documentary shows us how.

Tags: , , , , , , , , , , ,

The Heavens Opened for RBG

19 Sep

I believe that the heavens opened on Friday night.

As we entered the holiday of Rosh Hashannah, the start of the new year, the days of Awe; and entered the holy day of Shabbat, the Sabbath, Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg, passed into the cosmos.  She left this world a better place for all women.  She fought the battles of women’s rights at a time when most women were treated as second class citizens.  She was a warrior for women.

In Judaism there is the belief that someone who dies on the Sabbath is a Tzadik, a righteous person.  Another belief says that a person who dies just as Rosh Hashannah begins is also a Tzadik, because the Lord waits for the very last minute of the year to take this person.  They are so needed on Earth, that their very time is counted to the minute.

Ruth Bader Ginsburg died erev Shabbat and Rosh Hashannah.  The moments before these two holidays connverged.  But more so, she died on the 18 of the month.  For those who are Jewish, the number 18 has its own significance, as the two letters, Het and Yod together spell the word, Chai, which means life. Her life had such meaning to so many women and men who she helped.

 Ruth Bader Ginsburg had such a life.  She was the second woman to serve on the Supreme Court.  She spent her life battling for women’s rights and gender equality.  She never backed down.  She was a warrior.  She dissented.  Her great legal intelligence helped her seal many decisions as she could interpret the laws, which make her interpretation valid. She did not back down.

Earlier this year I joined a group of women from the Kansas City area to go on a virtual tour of the Notorious RBG Exhibit at the Illinois Holocaust Museum.  It was a wonderful experience learning about what this extraordinary woman had accomplished. I had to have both a I dissent pin and a t-shirt.  A t-shirt that I am proudly wearing now.

Earlier today, I went to services for Rosh Hashannah. Our shul has been having services for a few months now.  There are rules in place to keep us safe. We all wore masks.  The service was shorterned.  The doors were opened for air circulation.   We sat phsycially distanced. We were not to sing, only the hazzan. No children under 12 were to be present.  But still the soul of prayer was there.

When the Unetanneh Tokef was chanted by the Hazzan, I thought of Justice Ginsburg, as these words were ingrained in my being:

“Let us now relate the power of this day’s holiness, for it is awesome and frightening. On it Your Kingship will be exalted; Your throne will be firmed with kindness and You will sit upon it in truth. It is true that You alone are the One Who judges, proves, knows, and bears witness; Who writes and seals, Who counts and Who calculates. You will remember all that was forgotten. You will open the Book of Remembrances — it will read itself – and each person’s signature is there. And the great shofar will be sounded and a still, thin voice will be heard. Angels will be frenzied, a trembling and terror will seize them — and they will say, ‘Behold, it is the Day of Judgment, to muster the heavenly host for judgment!’ — for even they are not guiltless in Your eyes in judgment.”

The Holy One knows the goodness of Justice Ginsburg.  Her death comes at the end of a horrible year.  But the Jewish New Year started after her death.  A new year is here.  I have faith.

As I said the Kaddish, the prayer for the dead, which I say every Rosh Hashannah for my family who perished in the Shoah, I also said Kaddish for Justice Ginsburg.

May her name and memory be for a blessing. May her soul be bound up in the bond of Eternal Life. May her family be comforted with the mourners of Zion. Her memory will not end. We will all remember and work to continue the example of the Notorious Ruth Bader Ginsburg.

Yes, I believe the heavens opened last night to claim the astounding, amazing soul– neshumah –of Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg, a Tzadik, a good and righteous woman, Yita Ruchel.

Now we among the living must continue her work. Vote for women, vote in memory of a women’s warrior. Vote in the name of Justice Ginsburg.

Tags: , , , , ,

My Pandemic Mitzvot Keep Me Optimistic

18 Mar

I already wrote about the libraries closing and my decision to giveaway some of the thousands of books I am not taking to our new, downsized home. But in the few days since I wrote that blog so much more has happened. Yesterday all schools were asked to stay closed until April 6. Then today, the governor ordered that schools shut their doors for the rest of the school year.

That is unbelievable and truly an unexpected event.

I work at a school. A small, private school for students who do not do well in a traditional setting. This order to close school leaves us all gobstruck and flabbergasted. But with all the schools and libraries closed, books are not only an important release from stress, but also an important learning tool. Where will the children get books to read if the libraries, schools and stores are closed? So I believe my decision to share books is more important than ever.

The requests are coming in. Mystery, romance, funny novels, memoirs, thrillers, fantasy, children’s books for all ages. But I find myself not just saying yes and just handing them a book, I find myself searching through my books to find something that fits the person who requested a book.

Books to give away on my front porch.

I give each person between two and five books. If I have a series, I give them all the books I own in that series. I also offer options to some people, as I have several books I think they might like. I let each person make the final decision. No feelings hurt. But so far, everyone seems to like the books they took from my front porch.

My pandemic mitzvah (good deed) decision is bringing me joy! I think I am, or should have been, a librarian. Trying to match books to people elicits a smile in my brain. A little click occurs and I think, ‘Eureka, perfect fit!’

Eight people have requested books so far. I hope that many more do so. I would be glad to give everyone I know a bit of joy through the gift of a book. But I can only help out those who live within my community.

I think getting the books make them happy as well. I leave them in bags on my front porch. People come by and take the bag labeled for them. Since we are keeping socially distant, I don’t go outside to greet them. But a couple have knocked on the door and given me a smile and a wave and a thank you through the glass.

Some friends who have not requested books have noted what a great idea this is. And a kindness. Kindness goes two ways. People need books. It brings them relief from stress and escape from situations. I get joy by finding good homes for my books. It is so nice to know that another reader will open the pages and be transferred from the somewhat harsh reality of a Coronavirus pandemic, into someone’s words and imagination.

But books are not my only pandemic mitzvot. I am calling house bound people. I am sending notes to the people I usually visit in an elder care facility. I am trying to be upbeat and positive. Sometimes I fail at that, but I am trying. And most of all, I am trying to take care of my husband and myself. We are continuing our exercise, we are eating healthy and I hope we are maintaining our spirits.

I think that by doing something positive I can take a bit of stress out of my life and the lives of those around me. So remember, even if you cannot see your friends, you can call. Even if you cannot go to movies or libraries or concerts, there are many ways to listen to music or read. Take a walk outside. Call someone at home to brighten their day. Doing a mitzvah during the pandemic is my choice to keep optimistic.

Tags: , ,

Do More of What Makes You Feel Happy: Or Why I Want to be a Spiritual Care Volunteer

16 Jan

For the past two years I have been trying to find a different kind of volunteer role.  I have served on boards and planned events; I have shopped for gifts and supplies; I have written and stuffed letters; I have organized and directed. But I wanted something that was more one-on-one, where I could actually help someone. Something that would give me an important obligation and destination once I totally retired. Something that had meaning.  It is important to me to give back, to do tzedekah, to make a conscious, ethical commitment to do good.

Then I listened to a radio podcast that featured my sister-in-law.  In it she said something that resonated with me:  Do More of What Makes You Feel Happy!

I realized that something that makes me feel happy is making others feel happy.  Many times, when I am with someone not feeling well, or feeling blue, I just want to help them laugh before we leave each other.  I learned years ago that laughter really makes people feel better. The saying, “Turn that frown upside down and smile,” sticks in my mind.  I decided I needed to find a volunteer role that would help people feel emotionally better.

Several years ago, I participated in a two-day training program put on by the Institute for Jewish Spirituality and our local Jewish Federation called, Wise Aging. We were taught how to facilitate a program for people who were in a transitional stage of life, from 50s to late 70s. We learned the skill of mindful listening. We learned about mindfulness and meditation along with dealing with transitions.

I really enjoyed teaching classes with my co-leader on the transition from thinking about the aging process to living in the aging process and how to make it a most positive experience.  But we are not doing as many workshops. I needed something else that might use the skills I learned from this workshop.

Then life happened.  Someone I know for years was in a rehab facility.  I went to visit her and saw what my visit meant, even though we were not close friends.  Then a good friend of mine was in the hospital and then rehab for months.  I started visiting her once a week when I was in town.  She loved the visits.  Even when her husband came, they wanted me to stay. Having outside company was comforting and helped them passed the time.  Besides making them happier for the company, it made me happier because I know my presence helped them.

img_1681

The booklet the volunteer dropped off.

One day when I was there, a man stopped by and gave her a booklet.  He was a spiritual care volunteer.  Since she had company he dropped off the booklet and said he would be back later.  Hummm the wheels in my brain already started to turn.

I remembered back to when my parents were sick.   I would fly to NJ every five weeks and spend a week there.  Many times, I was just going to the hospital every day.  My siblings wondered how I could sit in the hospital or nursing home all day long. They could not do it.  But it did not bother me.  I also remember the volunteers who came from the local synagogue to visit the hospitalized.  I had several nice conversations with them.  I remember thinking what a great way to do a mitzvah.

I remembered back to when I was a teenager and worked as a candy striper in a local hospital.  I had one incident that changed my desire to be a nurse, but I always liked helping others.  (See blog link below.)

Recently I was in Israel when my daughter had surgery. I spent several days in the hospital. Many times, my daughter’s roommate did not have someone there when I was there, so I helped her as well.  It made sense to me.  It is ‘gemulat hasidim,’a deed of loving kindness to help the sick.

My mind started ruminating over a specific volunteer opportunity: visiting the sick, or in our community Spiritual Care Volunteer.

I realized that this might be the best fit for me.  I like people.  I like to talk to people.  Sick people do not scare me.  I think some people are afraid to be around someone either old, or just someone who is sick.  It does not upset me.  The more I thought about it, the more considering volunteering as a spiritual care volunteer seemed right for me.

And then there were the ‘signs’!

One day while visiting my friend, the local rabbi in charge of Jewish Family Services’ Chaplaincy Program appeared to visit her as well.  I saw this as a sign.  The spiritual care volunteers are part of his program. I do not see him that often, and here I was thinking about calling him to volunteer when he showed up.  So right then, I told him, I want to do this.  It has been on my mind ever since. But. I did not follow up, I had much going on.

I went to Israel to be with my daughter.  When I come back from Israel. Rabbi Rudnick emailed me to comment on a blog I wrote about being in a hospital in Israel.  I took this as my second sign that I am really meant to be a spiritual care volunteer. I, in turn, emailed him and I reminded him that I wanted to participate in this program.  He put me in touch with another person at his agency to get more information.

My third sign is that the 12-hour training, which is to begin soon, is actually on days that I can attend!  That is amazing to me.  It really must be a sign that this is the right role for me.

I have filled out the paperwork, had my interview, had my rabbi write a letter of recommendation.  I am all set.  Next week I begin my training.  I have made a one-year commitment to this program.

I hope that I can give comfort to those that need comfort; listen to those who need to be heard; pray with those who need prayer; and cheer up those who need cheering.

 

My Time As A Candy Striper

Tags: , , , , , , ,

← Older Entries