FROM ANNE'S DESK

I am very excited to tell you about a new curriculum addition to our 8th grade program called Spark HeartAction which is sure to impact students of post Bar/Bat Mitzvah age. Linking volunteer work with timeless meaning, Spark HeartAction combines Jewish learning with ongoing service to the elderly. Our 8th graders will have the opportunity to put the Jewish values of chesed (compassionate action), tzedek (justice) and hidur pinei zaken (honoring the elderly) into action, challenging their understanding of the elderly and deepening their connection with the communities. As relationships grow through a process of regular visits, reflection sessions, text studies, journal activities and personal encounters, our 8th graders will gain a new perspective on their place in the world and what they can do to improve it.

Speark HeartAction is an exploration of community service as a meaningful expression of Jewish identity and the perfect addition to the social action program already in place.

- Anne Lidsky, Ph.D., RJE

- Reprinted from the July, 2007 Covenant