Thanks for coming to this year's Mitzvah Mall!

To view all of the photos that I took at this year's Mitzvah Mall, visit Mitzvah Mall 2010 Pictures

The Mitzvah Mall is this Sunday!

Here is a preview of some of the organizations from which you will be able to "shop"at the Mitzvah Mall:
-American Friends of Magen David Adom http://www.afmda.org

-Boundless Playgrounds Builds truly inclusive playgrounds where children — and adults — of all abilities can play and learn together in a fun and welcoming environment.

-Charter Oak Cultural Center www.charteroakcenter.org

-Jewish Family Services Jewish Family Services of Greater Hartford is a social service agency helping individuals and families deal with life cycle transitions and adversity. Guided by the highest professional standard in counseling, advocacy and educational programming, the agency seeks to enhance and strengthen quality of life for all those in need through the Jewish tradition of caring and compassion

-Loaves and Fishes Ministries, Inc. http://loavesfishesministries.org/
-Foodshare www.foodshare.org
-HARC, Inc. www.harc-ct.org

-HARTbeat of the Street Newspaper HARTbeat of the Street was created to share the stories and perspectives of individuals who often go unheard, and empower those who have been shut out.  While homelessness is a struggle many are faced with in the Hartford region, we believe it can be ended through the efforts of the community at Large. 

-Hartford Food Not Bombs www.myspace.com/hartfordfnd
-Heifer International www.heifer.org

-Mercy Housing Mercy Housing and Shelter Corp. is a non-profit organization sponsored by the Sisters of Mercy.  It responds to the needs of those who are homeless or at risk of becoming homeless by providing them with food, housing, shelter, education and support services in an atmosphere that respects each person. Mercy Housing and Shelter advocates on behalf of individuals while challenging injustice in social systems. 
-My Sister's Place www.mysistersplace.org

Aleph Class Family Program

Thanks to all of the Aleph Class parents and students for coming to the Aleph Class Family Program last Sunday!  It was so wonderful to meet all of you! During our program, we discussed Friday night Shabbat family rituals, with an emphasis on the Family Blessings, and made beautiful challah covers as well as putting together a fun Shabbat board game.
I hope that your family will be able to incorporate the incredible challah cover that you made with your child into your Friday night Shabbat celebration.  They all looked really wonderful, what talented and creative students!

For our raffle prize, I gave away a copy of The Modern Jewish Mom's Guide to Shabbat, which I highly recommend to all parents who struggle with or need inspiration on incorporating the celebration of Shabbat into your family's busy routine.

If you are looking to purchase a copy, it is available on Amazon:
The Modern Jewish Mom's Guide to Shabbat on Amazon.com

Some Daled Class Family Program Participants:

First Daled Class Family Program

A big thank you to all of the students and parents who attended this year's first Daled Class family program!

To see photos from the event, please visit:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/54904662@N05/sets/72157625333494748/

Our next program will be on Sunday, December 19th.


During today's program, the students interviewed their parents about each parent's Bar or Bat Mitzvah experiences. This stirred up many happy memories that the students loved hearing.
I'm hoping that we can continue to reminisce on this blog space.

What is your most vivid and/or important Jewish memory?

The Mitzvah Mall is coming to Beth El Temple!

Start getting excited for a new way to holiday shop!  The Mitzvah Mall is coming to Beth El Temple on Sunday, November 21st from 10am-12pm!