Looking Back

From the William Davidson Digital Archive of Jewish Detroit History 

accessible at www.djnfoundation.org

70 | DECEMBER 30 • 2021 

A Holiday Tradition
L

ast weekend was the 25th Annual 
Mitzvah Day in Metro Detroit. 
Sponsored by the Jewish Community 
Relations Council/American Jewish 
Committee (JCRC/AJC), in partnership 
with the Jewish Federation of Metropolitan 
Detroit, Mitzvah Day is usually held on Dec. 
25. Because Christmas was on Shabbat this 
year, the JCRC/AJC declared a “Mitzvah 
Weekend.
”
Mitzvah Day was 
established by the JCRC 
in 1996 to assist Christian 
service organizations on 
Christmas to allow their staffs 
to celebrate the holiday with 
family and friends. Over the 
years, Mitzvah Day has grown 
to include hundreds of volunteers, including 
those from other faiths such as Muslims 
and Hindus. It is a very nice gift for Cass 
Community Social Services, COTS, Haven, 
Jimmy’s Kids and Western Oakland Meals 
on Wheels, to name just a few.
I decided to research Mitzvah Day in the 
William Davidson Digital Archive of Jewish 
Detroit History. It was a heartwarming 
experience. I highly recommend taking 
this online cruise. You’ll find reassurance 
that there is indeed a lot of goodness in the 
world.
Mitzvah Day in Metro Detroit has a very 
interesting history. There are 381 entries 
for the term “Mitzvah Day” in the Archive. 
Most citations date from the 1990s. Before 
the concept of a Mitzvah Day, there are a 
few entries regarding bar or bat mitzvah 
days for Jewish youth. 
“In Tears and Triumph,
” a story about 
survivor David Bergman’s life, he relates that 
his bar mitzvah day was held on a train to 
the Plaszow Concentration Camp in 1944 
(May 7, 1998, JN).
The history of the Mitzvah Day in Detroit 
is complicated. The first mitzvah day story 
that I could find was a JN report that teens 
from Temple Israel held a mitzvah day in 
fall 1957 to help seniors and others with 

household chores and fall yard clean-up. I 
soon discovered that many synagogues and 
congregations held and/or still hold mitzvah 
days: Temple Beth El, Temple Israel, Temple 
Kol Ami, Temple Emanu-El and Adat 
Shalom, and Congregations B’nai Moshe, 
Shir Tikvah, T’Chiyah and Beth Ahm. And 
I am certain this is not a complete list of all 
“mitzvah days” in the Jewish community. 
I like the stories of mitzvah day families. 
For example, see “One 
Family’s Mitzvah 
Day” (Jan. 1, 1999) 
about the Sakwas 
— Stuart, Randi and 
daughter, Hayley, Uncle 
Mike, Papa Dave and 
Grandma Joyce. It also 
has photos of volunteers 
Shari Goldstein and her 
son, Michael. Gabriella 
Ring wrote about helping 
Alzheimer’s patients with 
her family (Jan. 1, 2009), 
and the Nadis family served 
lunch at the Detroit Rescue 
Mission Ministries (Dec. 30, 
2010).
Who created the concept of a Mitzvah 
Day? It’s hard to say. A JN editorial (Jan. 3, 
2003) reported that Mitzvah Day began 
“years ago” at Temple Beth El and then the 
men’s club at Shaarey Zedek held one. In a 
story about the retirement of Temple Kol 
Ami Rabbi Norman T. Roman in the April 
28, 2011, JN, he claimed: “We were the first 
local congregation to sponsor a Mitzvah 
Day.
” The JCRC/AJC first held what is now 
the largest, most recognized Mitzvah Day 
in 1996. However, it should not be confused 
with “Itsa Mitzvah Day” sponsored by the 
Jewish Federation.
Regardless of origins, Mitzvah Day is a 
great invention. To all the volunteers — 
mazel tov! 

Want to learn more? Go to the DJN Foundation 
archives, available for free at www.djnfoundation.org.

Mike Smith
Alene and 
Graham Landau 
Archivist Chair