Welcome to the schedule of our virtual Mitzvah Day opportunities. All of these sessions will take place on Zoom.
Sessions with an asterisk (*) require supplies which will be made available in our Mitzvah Day bags. Bags can be picked up at CRS during the week of January 11 on a first-come, first-serve basis. A list of the supplies will also be shared with registrants prior to the session.
Kickoff Event | 9:00 AM
Join our senior clergy at 9 AM to begin Mitzvah Day with Torah and song. Cantor Garfein will help us transition into mitzvah mode with joyous music; and Rabbi Levine will share a charge to inspire our sacred work.
Arts & Craft Projects: Card Making for Dorot, Backpack Buddies and God’s Love We Deliver, and Decorating Bags for WSCAH* | 9:10 – 10:15 AM (begins right after Kickoff event)
Share your talents and warm greetings with older adults, children, and homebound neighbors around New York City by writing and decorating cards. In our crafty Zoom space we will create cards that can bring joy during this challenging year. You can pick up card-making materials at CRS the week of January 11, or use items that you have at home (see list below.)
Help our neighbors carry their food home in style! Decorate white canvas bags with beautiful designs to bring joy and color to those shopping at the West Side Campaign Against Hunger food pantry. Canvas bags and fabric markers will be available at CRS the week of January 11, or use items that you have a home (see list below).
Register Now
(Note: this event uses the same Zoom link as the Kickoff event)
Supplies for card-making:
- Crayons
- Stickers
- 4 sheets of Construction paper
Supplies for canvas bags:
- 2 Canvas bags
- 4 fabric markers
Sholom Sprouts Family Program: Celebrating our Uniqueness: a Story and Puppet Making Workshop with Todd Loyd (Age 5 and under) | 9:10 AM – 10:00 AM (begins right after Kickoff event)
Join Sholom Sprouts on MLK day for a meaningful experience with Rodeph Sholom School teacher Todd Loyd as we learn to embrace our uniqueness and celebrate our differences through puppets, story and song. A corresponding craft will be included in our time together. Appropriate for children 5 and under and their families.
(Note: this event uses the same Zoom link as the Kickoff event)
You can pick up card-making materials at CRS the week of January 11, or use items that you have at home:
- A sock or wooden spoon to use as a base
- Any additional material that can be cut up to use in the creation of your puppet
- Large buttons, sequins, googly eyes, markers etc. for decoration and embellishment
American Jews and the Civil Rights Movement with Dr. Jonah Hassenfeld | 9:30 AM
Like many American Jews, I was raised on the story of Abraham Joshua Heschel marching with MLK and felt deep pride in the role that Jews played during the Civil Rights movement. There is a lot of truth in this story. In this session, we will explore another story, one that reveals a far more complicated relationship between Jews and Blacks in America. While less comforting, this story has the power to reframe how we see the role of Jews in the fight for racial justice in the future.
Stars of Hope | 9:30 – 10:15 AM
In this special session we will create beautiful stars to form a bright banner for our neighbors at the Jewish Home of Riverdale. This session will be facilitated by art therapist Kelly Burns and her Stars of Hope colleague Josh Garcia. They will teach us about the inspiring mission that drives Stars of Hope while leading us in this artistic expression of joy and hope for our neighbors. (Recommended ages 5+ with adult)
Days for Girls* | 10:30 – 11:15 AM
Support the vital work of Days for Girls even amidst the pandemic! Join us to prepare underwear, washcloths, and ribbon for the Days for Girls menstrual care kits.
Materials for this session will be available at CRS the week of January 11 or you may use items from home:
- Girls/Women’s cotton underwear in bright colors or patterns (with no images of faces of any kind) sizes 8-16
- Cotton Washcloths
- Grosgrain ribbon 5/8 inch wide
Completed kits can be dropped back off at CRS from Tues, Jan 19 – Fri, Jan 22.
Achieve Vitality in the Context of Community for Those Young at Heart Who Want to Remain That Way (60+) with Meredith Oppenheim | 10:30 – 11:30 AM
The time has never been more urgent or the need greater to keep older people connected and well.
Join this live Zoom session and learn how to achieve vitality in the context of community based on the latest research by CRS member and RSS parent Meredith Oppenheim who has been working with older people for over 30 years.
In January 2020 Meredith launched Vitality Society to keep people 60 and better at their best. The online platform which was recently featured in the New York Times offers a unique and valuable solution to the isolation faced by some people who are over 60.
After this session, participate in a live 30-minute demo of the popular and gentle Nia Dance Party class.
Vitality Society is offering all Rodeph Sholom members a complimentary month of membership. More information is available here.
Talent Show Premiere + Facebook Watch Party with Cantor Garfein | 12:00 PM
Join us for the world premiere of the 2021 Mitzvah Day Talent Show featuring CRS congregants of all ages and members of the Rodeph Sholom Theatre Company. We will share this video with the nursing homes as well as the entire congregation!
Join Cantor Garfein for a Facebook Watch Party in our CRS Member Facebook Group!
If you know of a place that would like to show the video, email mitzvahday@crsnyc.org to let us know.
Schmooze Room hosted by the CRS Caring Community | 2:00 – 3:00 PM
Stop by to schmooze in our virtual community room hosted by fellow congregants from the CRS Caring Community.
Closing Event | 5:00 PM
Join Rabbi Spratt, Cantor De Lowe, Rabbi Karol and CRS President Peter Ehrenberg to celebrate this incredible day of mitzvot. We will sing, we will toast, and we will share photos from across our community as we look ahead to a 2021 filled with mitzvah doing.
Connect with Fellow Congregants Outside NYC
2020 saw so many of us displaced from our homes, our sacred spaces, and more. While many of us moved out of NYC temporarily or permanently, we remain as committed as ever to the mitzvah of building a caring, connected synagogue family. If you have left New York City and would like to contact other CRS congregants in your area for socially distanced coffee, walks, and more, share your current zip code and email and scan the list to see who might be in the neighborhood. Bring CRS to you by contacting fellow members nearby!