Give a Little, Help a Lot! Big Sunday Is Almost Here!

Do you remember the story of Stone Soup?  In the story a stranger comes to a new town looking for a bite to eat.  But alas, everyone in the town is very poor. No one will give him a thing, for fear they won't have enough for themselves.  After the visitor declares that he knows how to make a magic soup out of just a stone and some water, each resident of the town asks if they might share in the delicacy.  The stranger agrees - so long as the residents each bring a little something to give the soup a little extra flavor.  And they do! A pinch of salt here, a slice of carrot there, a leg of chicken, a clove of garlic... eventually the town has made a delicious soup together, hearty enough to feed people for miles around. 

As it turned out, when each person gave just a little, they were able accomplish a lot.

We are so lucky that our community of Temple Emanuel is more generous than the town mentioned above.  The people in our synagogue really know that when each of us gives a little, we can accomplish a lot.  For the past few weeks, we have seen the donations come in one by one: a bag of clothes here, a baby blanket there, a box of diapers, a backpack filled with school supplies, a box of children's books... and before we know it, we have collected (and we are still collecting!) quite an impressive stockpile of items for the needy in and around Los Angeles.

This Sunday, May 15th we will be coming together with communities all over Los Angeles for Big Sunday: a chance to make a difference by donating, organizing, and delivering items to those in need.   Our synagogue will be buzzing with the sounds of children and adults working together on projects like:

* Blood drive for Presbyterian Intercommunity Hospital in Whittier
* Book drive for Bookends
* Care packages for Alexandria House Women's Shelter
* Decorating flower pots for elders at Bridgepoint and Carmel North
* Making sandwiches for the Midnight Mission
* Gathering and organizing clothing
* Assembling bundles for the Exceptional Children Foundation
* Tools for Schools, a project with Jewish Family Service
* Magazine Cutouts for Free Arts for Abused Children
* Sending Cards to Israeli Soldiers with our own Israel Matters Committee

Beginning with a Pep Rally at 9:00 AM and continuing with projects and 9:30, together, along with our co-Sponsors from the All Saints' Church and the City of Beverly Hills, we will ensure that this important work is done. 

By giving just a little: whether it's donating the essentials to complete these tasks, donating money to help underwrite a project, or giving your time on Sunday to help it all come together, it is our collective effort that will enable our community to accomplish a lot.

Rabbi Sara Mason-Barkin