24 | MAY 26 • 2022 

OUR COMMUNITY

T

here’s a mitzvah I 
like to do; it’s so easy 
you can do it, too! 
Just a few coins is all it takes, 
for you to do the Tzedakah 
Shake!”
Among the many mitzvot 
students learned about this 
year, tzedakah was one we 
focused on each week. Every 
Sunday morning, the students 
at Yachad, the combined 
religious school of Temple 
Emanu-El and Congregation 
Beth Shalom, both in Oak 

Park, came together to sing, 
dance and give tzedakah. 
From our little ones in the 
sibling babysitting room 
to our seventh-graders, 
everyone shared excitement 
in doing something good for 
the world.
Yachad fifth-graders took 
on the role of researchers, 
finding charities that shared 
their passions, including 
sports, animals, camp and 
more. They learned about 
their chosen organizations’ 

missions and created a 
slate of places where the 
collected tzedakah money 
could go. After a passionate 
presentation, all Yachad 
students were given “tzedakah 
bucks” that they used to vote 
for where the collected funds 
would be allocated.
The $800 collected went 
to the Detroit Dog Rescue, 
Tamarack Camps, the Jewish 
Federation of Metropolitan 
Detroit Ukraine Relief Fund, 
Mosaic Youth Theater, 

Forgotten Harvest, Arts and 
Scraps, Detroit Police Athletic 
League, Ronald McDonald 
House, Kids Kicking Cancer, 
Gift of Life and Yachad 
(because tzedakah begins at 
home!)
We are certainly proud of 
the Yachad students and their 
passion for learning, growing 
and giving! 

Gail Greenberg, RJE (Reform Jewish 

Educator), is the Yachad education 

director. 

Religious school students donate 
$800 to local charities.

Yachad 
Students Give 
from the Heart

GAIL GREENBERG, RJE SPECIAL TO THE JEWISH NEWS 

COURTESY OF YACHAD

Fifth-grade 
students 
research 
charities.

Fifth-grade students 
after they shared 
information about 
the charities with 
the entire school.

Yachad 
Education 
Director Gail 
Greenberg 
with seventh-
graders leading 
Havdallah just 
before collecting 
tzedakah.

