Well this has been one BUSY week full of chesed, traveling, and fun!!
We spent shabbos in the beautiful community of Memphis, TN. We davened and ate two meals at the stunning Baron Hirsch Synagogue, and very much enjoyed the hospitality of community member’s homes.
On Sunday, the girls split up to do two different activities. Some girls went to the Ronald McDonald House and did arts and crafts projects with children who have terminal illnesses with their families. It was a very meaningful experience that meant a lot to the families and the girls. The rest of the group went to Shelby Farms Park to paint barrels, and did a fantastic job.
We then enjoyed a delicious lunch at Table 613, a famous kosher restaurant in Memphis.
Our next stop was the gorgeous campus of Vanderbilt University in Nashville, TN. Monday morning, we went to Second Harvest Food Bank of Middle Tennessee and packed 465 disaster relief boxes filled with non-perishables to be used in case of disasters all around the country. The girls loved this experience and did an amazing job packing. Charles Kizer, Lead Volunteer Associate at the food bank, taught us all about the company, and would not let us pack the boxes unless we were all smiling, which we were. The girls loved it so much, that after about 2.5 hours packing, Tova Felsenthal, 10th grade, asked if we could stay and do it all again.
We then had some free time to walk around downtown Nashville, and the girls had a great time seeing “Music City” at its finest.
Then we changed gears and focused on a unbelievably meaningful and unforgettable Tisha B’av. We heard Eicha at Shearith Israel in the dark with candles to illuminate the words of the megilla. Afterwards, we invited the women of the community to join us in an incredibly meaningful presentation written and put together by advisors Leah Goldstein, Rachel Waldman, and Bari Fuchs. The presentation focused on tragedies of the Jewish people and American people as well. Some events covered include the Holocaust, September 11th, Hurricanes Katrina and Sandy, the Boston Bombing, and tragic shootings in Itamar, Yeshivat Mercaz Harav Kook, and Sandy Hook Elementary School. The program included a reading and video about each event, with moving songs sung by Bari Fuchs and Elisheva Penner interspersed throughout.
We said kinnos the next morning until midday. The kinnos program was mediated by Rabbi Tropp, and each kinna was prepared and explained by the advisors and Rabbi Tropp. The experience was deeply meaningful and will not be forgotten. We then had the privilege to watch “Paper Clips”, a documentary filmed in Whitwell Middle School in Tennessee about a project in which the middle schoolers aimed to collect six million paper clips in memory of the six million Jews who perished in the Holocaust. The project, which was started in 1998, became so well known and appreciated, that to this day, they have collected over 30 million paper clips. We had the privilege of going to Whitwell Middle School and see the memorial, but more on that below.
We finished Tisha B’av with very moving presentations written and performed by the girls about different times in history when Jews were persecuted. These included Pogroms, the Intifada, the Holocaust, and more.
Wednesday morning, Ms. Linda Hooper, along with four 8th graders from Whitwell, gave us an unforgettable tour of the Paper Clips Memorial. Sophia Stepansky, 10th grade, held a handful of paper clips in her hand and said: “It felt like I was touching people’s souls.” We each got to keep a paper clip sent to Whitwell that represents a Jewish soul.
Next stop on our trip was Atlanta, GA. We got to see the World of Coca Cola, where we learned all about the history and making of Coca-Cola, and got to taste over 20 flavors of soda! This morning, we sorted and packed books with Books for Africa, another amazing experience. We then went to Six Flags of Atlanta and spent the rest of the day going on rides, playing games, and eating dippin dots!
It has been such an amazing week, and we cannot wait to GIVE more in the days to come!
Don’t forget to check in before shabbos for pictures and the long-awaited double pre-shabbos video!
Next stop, Albany, NY!