What happens when 20 teens, plus their amazing families, band together to help provide much-needed clothing, toiletries, food, and human compassion to people who are struggling? Something really special.
For the past few years, Temple Beth El teens have participated in a Midnight Run, a program that brings volunteers into New York City to interact with some of the unhoused population. On a coach bus, loaded with bins of supplies, we head to assigned locations where those in need can find us.
This year, 16 teens from TBE teamed up with a few from Temple Beth David for an incredible trip. After a dinner at Eddie Bergman’s delicious restaurant, Hill & Bay, we headed out on the mission, going from site to site. At each stop, we encountered thoughtful and appreciative individuals who were happy to see us arrive.
While it is true that our efforts benefitted those we served, even more inspiring was seeing our teens interact with them. It is a simple but powerful gift to treat someone with kindness and understanding, especially when they are having a tough time. For our teens, it is a reminder to be thankful for what they do have, but also an opportunity to live our Jewish values in a very tangible way.
My thanks to all the people who worked so hard, to the teens who gave so much of their time to organize mounds of clothes, shoes, underwear, socks, and hats. And a special thanks to the generosity of many congregants who made it possible, including Dana and David Plosky, Florence and Steve Roffman, Michael Heiberger, the Sisterhood of Temple Beth El, and the Mina and Irving Klein Fund.