Kitah Hay – 5th Grade Service Learning Projects

Hello Yavneh Community,

Our names are Hadas, Noah, Leeor, and Juan. This year in 5th Grade, we are working on community service projects. We are trying to donate seeds to a company called “Seeds to the World”.  According to a study published in Nature magazine, around 15 billion trees are being cut down every year, which means a lot of animals are losing their homes. We think this matters because if we lose trees all the animals that live in trees will go extinct.  Lastly, if trees suddenly disappeared on this planet, there would be no oxygen for us to breathe. 

In Deuteronomy 20:19, we learn about the Jewish principle of bal tashchit (“do not destroy”).   It says, “When in your war against a city you have to besiege it for a long time in order to capture it, you must not destroy its trees, wielding the ax against them.”  Even in a time of war, We must still respect the land because it is a living thing.  It works and gets tired like us.  We should thank the land by helping it to regrow. 

  Starting this Monday, May 9th, we are going to have a decorated box in the front of the lobby where you can contribute a donation of unused seeds.  Seeds that sprout edible fruits or vegetables are preferred.  At the end of the week, we will take the seeds that are put in the box and donate them to an organization called  “Seeds to the World”. We are doing this for the land and for ourselves:  because if we plant more trees, animals (including humans) will have more places to create a home. 

Please donate! 

Warmly,

Hadas, Noah, Leeor & Juan  (Kitah Hay)

Hello Yavneh Community!

We are Yarden, Alisa, Judah, and Ramona from fifth grade. For our community service projects, we are helping the LGBTQ+🏳️‍🌈  community!

The Torah teaches the value of chesed, kindness. It is something we must show to all people, regardless of who they are. There are also a lot of quotes in the Torah that can be interpreted as supportive to the LGBTQ+🏳️‍🌈  community. King David himself speaks of love for another man, saying to his friend Samuel:

“You were most dear to me.
Your love was wonderful to me
More than the love of women.”

Sadly, there are many places in the world where people in the LGBTQ+🏳️‍🌈  community are looked down on and oppressed. We want people in the LGBTQ+🏳️‍🌈  community to know that they are safe and have allies and supporters here at Yavneh. Therefore, we are creating a Pride Flag poster board outside our classroom, room 208, where people can pin-up colorful notes of support.

Lastly, we kindly ask you to consider making a donation of any amount to The Trevor Project by clicking on this link. It is one of the leading organizations providing the LGBTQ+ community with direct counseling and support.

Thank you,

Yarden, Alisa, Judah, and Ramona (Kitah Hay)

Greetings Yavneh community,

Our names are Ari N., Eli O., Max C., and Rosie K.  We are fifth-grade students here at Yavneh and we are here to tell you about what we are doing for our service project! We are trying to help make a difference and change immigration laws. We want everyone and their family to be able to have a safe space to live. In 2019 alone, 44.9 million people immigrated to the U.S.A. We know that sounds like a lot, but there are millions more who are oppressed and persecuted who are not able to immigrate legally.

The Torah states, “If your kin, being in straits, come under your authority, and are held by you as though resident aliens, let them live by your side.” It is a Jewish person’s responsibility to help people you may not know. The Torah wants us to reach out and help more people than just our own friends and family. We also need to think about the Jewish mitzvah, pikuach nefesh. Pikuach nefesh means “to save a life,” and by taking in people who live in dangerous places, we are literally saving lives.

There is an amazing organization called the American Civil Liberties Union that helps immigrants find homes. We really would appreciate it if you would donate to their website by clicking this link. Even a smaller amount could make a HUGE difference!  You will see outside at pickup/dropoff handing out cards promoting the ACLU as well! 

You can click this link to learn more about the important work the ACLU does to help immigration. 

Thank you for reading!

Sincerely,

Rosie, Eli, Arielle & Max 

Hello Yavneh Community,

Our names are Blake, Erez, Leo, and Jacob and we are 5th graders here at Yavneh. We are writing this email to inform you that we want to help our community by raising donations for an organization called NAMI who are dedicated to helping people who struggle with their mental health. A 2021 study showed that about 19% of adults suffer from mental health illnesses and about 4.55% have severe mental illnesses. If people don’t know how to get help if they do suffer from mental health illness, they may not get the happy and healthy life that they deserve.  This is why NAMI helps people with anxiety, depression, and more and why we want to educate people about how they can get support if they ever do suffer in their mental health.  

The Jewish value of Pikuach Nefesh is very important to us. It is a mitzvah that commands us to “save a life.” By donating to NAMI we are saving lives by making sure that people live a happy and healthy life knowing where to get the help they need. Our community can make a difference in helping promote the wellbeing of everyone. 

So how can you help? Starting on Monday, May 16th until the end of the school year, every day at 3:30 until 4:00 during pick-up, we will be outside in front of the school offering wristbands to anyone who decides to donate ANY AMOUNT. You can choose however much money makes you comfortable to donate. There will be two people outside of the school every day and after or before you pick-up your child you can come and talk to one of us to get your wristband. If you are unable to come and purchase a wristband, donate directly by clicking this link to NAMI’s donation page. Please consider donating to a meaningful cause. You might help save a life.

Todah Rabah!

Warmly,

Blake, Erez, Leo, and Jacob (Kitah Hay)

Shalom Yavneh Families,

Our names are Ella M., Abi N., Izzy R., and Sophia G. For our service project, we have decided to help individuals with disabilities. This is an important ca1use because each year there are millions of children and adults that struggle with disabilities.  We found two great organizations that support this cause called Kids Dance Outreach and the Carousel Ranch. The first is an organization that teaches people with disabilities how to dance; the second provides a type of animal-assisted therapy using horses.  It makes us happy to know that we can work with these people who have helped thousands of people with disabilities. 

In Leviticus, it says that “[y]ou shall not insult the deaf, or place a stumbling block before the blind.”  If we take a step back, this could refer to anyone that is going through difficult times or a person who is disabled or challenged. Combined with the Commandments and the ideas of Mitzvah and Tikkun Olam, God is telling us to help and comfort the disabled, challenged, and afflicted people.  God is telling us not to hurt each other but to help each other. 

To raise awareness about people with disabilities we will be giving away one hoodie designed by our team to a person in each grade. We will have a raffle drawing, to pick a person from each class.   Additionally, we encourage you to donate to or partner with Kids Dance Outreach and Carousel Ranch by clicking the links in this sentence. If you are chosen to receive the hoodie, we encourage you to wear it at school and in your community. We hope everyone will learn more about this cause and support in whatever way they can.

Sincerely,

Ella M., Abi N., Izzy R., and Sophia G