Rabbi Tarfon said: It is not your duty to complete the work, but neither are you free to avoid it. Pirke Avot 2:21

Please join us and participate in Mitzvah Day at Or Chadash on Sunday, May 20, 2010 from 9:00 AM to 12:00 PM . (Mitzvah Day will be held rain or shine.) This is a wonderful opportunity to get involved in the Or Chadash community and have a huge impact on our world.

The entire Or Chadash community is encouraged to donate just a few hours of time. We have projects for all ages and abilities. Some projects will be done at the Temple and others will be done off-site.

Mitzvah Day will also include a blood drive at Or Chadash. New Jersey Blood Services will have a mobile blood unit on site from 8 am until 2 pm. We hope you will register to donate blood AND also participate in one of the following activities. We need a minimum of 45 donors for the blood drive. We have been successful for the past two years so we know we can meet our goals. We hope to see you and your neighbors and friends!

To RSVP, CLICK HERE. A description of the various projects planned is below.

If you cannot attend the day, but want to donate items needed to be used on May 20, please drop those off at the temple by Thursday, May 17.

Questions?

Betsy Zalaznick, bzalaznick@orchadash-nj.org or call the Temple at (908) 802-2122

MITZVAH DAY ACTIVITIES

Some Mitzvah Day activities take longer than others, so this year we have tried to give you more options with "Mini" and "Maxi" activities.

You can either:

Choose TWO (2) of the Mini activities (1st Choice is the first activity you will participate in (blue colored activities) and 2nd Choice is the second activity you will participate in (purple colored activities).)

OR

Choose ONE (1) of the Maxi activities (1st Choice is your first choice of activity and 2nd Choice is your second choice of activity in case the first choice is full.)

TICKET FOR ADMISSION TO MITZVAH DAY: The Flemington Food Pantry has shared its wish list with us and it includes:
Liquid Laundry Detergent
100% Fruit Juice
Hotel size toiletry samples
We hope you will consider bringing some of these items to Mitzvah Day, or to the Temple prior to Mitzvah Day.

MINI ACTIVITIES - Choose TWO (2) activities to participate in (one blue and one purple)

9- 10:30 (ish)

Make Lunch Bags (pb&j) for SHIP* and Elijah's Promise
Help create sandwiches and decorate bags for *Samaritan Homeless Interim Program and Elijah's Promise. (See list below for donation opportunities, thanks)

Bake Cookies
Help us bake cookies for the Residents of Sandhill Boys Home of Hunterdon Youth Services

Dog Toys
Make a sturdy rope toy that's comfortable for you to tug and strong enough for a dog to chew. Toys will be given to an animal shelter. We will provide the fleece and instructions.
Skills needed: Using scissors for cutting and braiding

Project Linus: Blankie Depot--Fleece and Yarn
We will provide fleece and directions to make blankets. Skills needed: Using sharp scissors and/or tying knots! Fun and rewarding.

Reusable Shopping Bag Craft Activity
Bring two large sized adult T shirts (the type without collars, plain or shirts with printed words are fine!), and learn how to make a very clever reusable shopping bag. We will make the shirts and give them to the clients of a local non-profit organization.

10:30 (ish) - 12 noon

Cuddly Construction: OC's version of Build a Bear!
Help us brighten the day of children in need by making a stuffed animal! $8--Make one animal to donate. $16--Make two animals, two to donate or one to donate and one to take home. All animals come with a t-shirt and birth certificate. Completed stuffed animals will be donated to the hospital.

Art Activity
"I Never Saw Another Butterfly" - Become part of the Holocaust Museum of Houston's exhibition schedule for Spring 2013 and create butterflies. The Museum needs 600,000 butterflies to help remember the 1.5 million children perished in the Holocaust.

Caps for Kids
Use your artistic talents to decorate caps for kids to wear in the hospital.

Create a Happy Doll
Happy Doll connects children around the world using dolls made by children as traveling ambassadors with messages of hope. Each HappyDoll is one-of-a-kind, kid-powered envoy with a simple mission: To make children in challenging circumstances smile. HappyDoll is a blank canvas in a shape of a doll for children to explore their creativity. By using the ID#@ on the HappyDoll children can see where their dolls traveled on the HappyDoll Map.

Knit One, Purl Two
Please bring your needles and some yarn to help us make blankets (we will make squares and sew them together) and/or hats for premature babies . We have instructions. Just bring needles and yarn. Prerequisite: basic knitting skills

MAXI ACTIVITIES - Choose ONE (1) as first choice and ONE (1) as a second choice if your first choice is full.

With all projects, please bring gardening gloves and tools for outdoor clean up so if you have a few extra minutes you can assist in cleaning up our OC property.

Create a compost bin at Or Chadash
Help put together OC's compost bin. Please bring your "power" tools. We have all the materials.

Sandhill Boys Home, Hunterdon Youth Services
Judy, the Director of the Home is still regaling in the amazing work OC has done in the past in preparing their flower beds and garden. This is a most rewarding project because OC gets to work with the residents of the home. Bring garden tools and gloves. Or Chadash has a very special relationship with the Sandhill Boys Home, a group facility for teenage boys.

Create Organic Garden at OC
Help prepare the soil for planting. Produce from the garden will be donated to the Food Pantry.

Exterior Temple Clean Up
A perennial favorite. Mulch, clean up beds, weed our property. Please remember to bring gardening tools and gloves!

Interior Temple Clean Up
Polish furniture, silver, clean windows, and help us do our annual interior spring cleaning

Animal Shelter
Very popular in past years. Do not hesitate to sign up, this activity fills up fast!! Walk dogs, play with animals (cats and dogs) and weather permitting bathe dogs. www.commonsenseforanimals.com in Stewartsvile. (Each child MUST be accompanied by an adults for this activity.) Make sure you choose which time slot you would like to attend in the form below.

Mitzvah Music with Student Cantor Kathy Gohr
Learn some new songs and bring your voices and smiles to Rolling Hills Nursing Home (2 miles from OC) as we entertain residents of Rolling Hills

Hunterdon County Parks
We have an assignment from Hunterdon County Parks System. Help us de-litter the trail and Stream Clean Up.