WHAT IS A
MITZVAH HERO?
E
ach year, The Jewish News honors outstanding
men, women and children in our community
through the Mitzvah Heroes section.
Exactly how the Mitzvah Heroes are chosen is a
long story.
It begins sometime in the fall, when The Jewish News
runs full-page announcements that the search for
Mitzvah Heroes is on. The announcements appear for
about six weeks and request the names of quiet do-good-
ers — those who go about day-to-day, continually help-
ing others, with no thought of recognition.
We usually receive more than 100 Mitzvah Hero can-
didates. Sometimes, the descriptions of their works are
several pages; other times, no more than a sentence.
The next step is selecting a Mitzvah Hero panel. The
panel is different each year, but always reflects the
diversity of the Jewish community. This year's selection
committee included community activist Barbara
Nusbaum; Machon L'Torah's Rabbi Avraham Jacobovitz;
Temple Beth El's Rabbi Julian Cook; Beth Abraham
Hillel Moses' Rabbi A. Irving Schnipper; Congregation
Shir Tikvah's Rabbi Arnie Sleutelberg; and Jewish News
Associate Publisher Arthur Horwitz, Editor Phil Jacobs
and Assistant Editor Elizabeth Applebaum.
Each panel member receives a complete list of nomi-
nees to review; then candidates are discussed at length
when the panel meets to select finalists. What are they
looking for?
There are a number of requirements. Mitzvah Heroes'
deeds must be ongoing. The individuals should perform
such acts without thought to possible reward or recogni-
tion. They must be quiet heroes — those who do not have
a building in their names or testimonials in their honor.
They should be modest and perform mitzvot simply for
the sake of doing mitzvot.
Often, the selection process requires further research.
We get a few sentences about a candidate that sound
interesting, but we need more information. So we start
making calls and conducting interviews — whatever it
takes until we are confident we have a complete picture
of the nominee.
No set figure exists as to the number of Mitzvah
Heroes chosen each year. Sometimes it's four; this year
it's one.
The final step is writing about the Mitzvah Hero,
which is not as easy as it sounds. Sometimes, our win-
ners ask not to be profiled. Other times, they are too
humble to describe all their activities. So we talk with
friends and neighbors.
The purpose of the section is more than to tell the
community about Mitzvah Heroes in our midst.
The purpose is to let those in the community who have
devoted their lives to helping others serve as an inspira-
tion to all of us. The Mitzvah Heroes are extraordinary
because of their deeds; at the same time, they are no dif-
ferent than the rest of us. If two young boys can spend
every free hour volunteering at JARC, surely the rest of
us can find time to do a thoughtful act, as well. If a
senior citizen takes it upon herself to do laundry for a
sickly neighbor, certainly we should feel compelled to
lend a helping hand to another.
Each year, author Danny Siegel distributes copies of
The Jewish News Mitzvah Heroes section to school stu-
dents nationwide. He uses the section to help teach them
what it really means to do a mitzvah, how to be a
mentsh. The section, he tells us, is much more valuable
than a lecture on "Why you should be a good person."
In about six months, The Jewish News will begin run-
ning announcements seeking the names of 1994 Mitzvah
Heroes. But if, in the meantime, you would like to nomi-
nate a candidate, please do so to: Mitzvah Heroes 1994,
The Jewish News, 27676 Franklin Rd., Southfield, MI
48034.0
THE JEWISH NEWS