Thanks for a great 2024 Mitzvah Mall!

This year’s Mitzvah Mall was a wonderful celebration of generosity, community, and action. We transformed our space into a buzzing hub of giving; offering opportunities for everyone to connect with meaningful causes and make a real difference.

Before the doors even opened, the energy was great. People of all ages came together, exploring tables hosted by incredible organizations, learning about their missions, and contributing with open hearts.  Each interaction, every donation, and all the support made this event a reflection of our community’s values.

This success would not have been possible without the incredible effort of so many. A heartfelt thank you to Penny Goodstein for running the whole thing again and to all the volunteers who planned, organized, and staffed the event. Your dedication ensured everything ran smoothly and joyfully. To our generous donors: you demonstrated once again the power of tzedakah in action.

To everyone who attended, participated, or supported from afar—thank you for showing what it means to be us. Together, we embody the spirit of mitzvot and the hope for a better world.

Let’s carry this momentum forward into everything we do, strengthening our bonds and spreading goodness wherever we can.

Kol hakavod to all who made this event shine.

If you'd like additional information visit the Mitzvah Mall's website.

A description of charity by the 12th century Jewish scholar and physician, Maimonides.
Take a moment to read this and see how profound it was. So profound they named a hospital after him. 

Maimonides wrote a code of Jewish law based on the Rabbinic oral tradition,
and he described charity (or “tzedakah”) from the least to the most honorable as follows:

8. When donations are given grudgingly.

7. When one gives less than they should, but does so cheerfully.

6.When one gives directly to the poor upon being asked.

5. When one gives directly to the poor without being asked.

4. When the recipient is aware of the donor’s identity, but the donor does not know the identity of the recipient.

3. When the donor is aware of the recipient’s identity, but the recipient is unaware of the source.

2. When the donor and recipient are unknown to each other.

1. The highest form of charity is to help sustain a person before they become impoverished by offering a substantial gift in a dignified manner, or by extending a suitable loan, or by helping them find employment or establish themselves in business so as to make it unnecessary for them to become dependent on others.

This is a beautiful and succinct way to think about giving. It is incredible how words from the 12th century continue to ring true today.
Fundamental human nature and values have not changed. Regardless of our faith, each of us can find value in these statements and apply them to our own life this giving season