ACTIONS FOR THE NEW YEAR

RAISE A FINGER AND YOU CAN MAKE A WORLD OF DIFFERENCE

Ideas inspired by Rabbi Alan Lachtman

1.  Our faith teach that we can make a difference in the lives of others. One Mitzvah leads to multiple Mitzvot. Visit www.thehungersite.com as this is the portal to nine other sites. Your click helps feed the hungry with the value of 1.1 cups of staple food. Please click not only every day of Passover but throughout the year. Clicking every day on the nine linked websites is an effective way to help alleviate the darkness that is brought on through childhood illiteracy, hunger, cancer, environmental pollution, lack of medical care, and neglect of our veterans. 

2.  Donate children’s books to a local hospital (www.reachoutandread.org) or donate books of all ages to a local homeless shelter. The Temple Beth David library can also use your support with building our library’s children’s and adult collections. 

3.  Donate to help our military service people who are fulfilling their mission to serve our great nation by giving to the USO at www.uso.org  or www.jcca.org/jwb.

4.  Visit the North American Conference on Ethiopian Jewry’s (www.nacoej.org) Website for donation ideas such as sponsoring a child’s lunches for the year.

5. Make a donation to Mazon (www.mazon.org) such as 3% of the amount you are spending for holiday dinners. 

6. Visit www.savedarfur.com and www.jewishworldwatch.org to keep updated on the crisis in Sudan. Give generously to help stop genocide or simply buy a solar oven to be used in one of the villages.  

7. Donate a gently used Judaica item to the World Union for Progressive Judaism (www.wupj.org) for a newly formed Reform synagogue in the Former Soviet Union or other country around the world. 

8. Help local animal shelters by visiting www.LAanimalAlliance.org, www.PETLANTHROPY.org or  www.theanimalrescuesite.com and donate to the shelter of your choice or learn how to help our four legged friends by donating time and resources to promote spaying, neutering and pet adoption 

   and fostering. 

9.  Visit the Coalition on the Environment and Jewish Life’s (www.coejl.org) You can give a gift to your home such as energy efficient appliances or compact fluorescent light bulbs. 

    10. Want to feed your mind and feed the less fortunate without leaving your computer?  Go to www.freerice.com and answer questions in the subjects of English, Chemistry, Humanities, Language, Math and Geography and for every correct answer you donate rice while building your knowledge.  What could be easier?