As we are in the midst of the Omer, counting the days from Passover to Shavuot, we might be tempted to count to see just how big last Sunday really was...
- Over 200 people volunteered their time for Big Sunday at Temple Emanuel.
- We raised $1,840 to benefit Big Sunday projects.
- We collected 800 books for Bookends.
- We made 300 sandwiches for midnight mission.
- 250 boxes of clothes were donated to two worthy organizations.
- We delivered 200 care packages for women at the Alexandria House.
- We organized 100 bundles for The Exceptional Children's Foundation.
- Children decorated and hand-delivered 75 flower pots for elder-care facilities in our neighborhood.
- We packed 50 backpacks filled with school supplies for 'Tools for Schools,' a project of Jewish Family Service.
- We made 45 cards for Israeli soldiers in a Tel Aviv rehabilitation center.
- 20 people donated blood for the Presbyterian Intercommunity Hospital in Whittier.
- 18 children prepared magazine cutouts for the Free Art project.
- 15 Madrichim (teacher's aids) sold lemonade and popcorn for tzedakah.
- We thank the 8 captains of Big Sunday projects: Bonnie Gottleib, Renee Brook, Diane Vanette, Joyce Levine, Annika Krasney, Sydney Turk-Porter, Jerry Silverhardt, and Kara Corwin.
- We cheer for the 1 Big Sunday Coordinator, Dave Suber!
What we can't count is the amount of love that was given to the projects, the weight of the goodness that poured from the hearts of our volunteers, and light that shone in the eyes of our synagogue members as they spent a selfless morning helping others. All of these numbers add up to an infinite amount of good that will only multiply as our synagogue continues to grow in its pursuit of justice. This was just one Sunday... but it's effects are exponential, blossoming before our eyes.
Rabbi Sara Mason-Barkin
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