Dozens of children and adults gathered at Robert M Beren Academy on Sunday, February 5, for the sixth annual Yom Chesed, in honor of Rabbi Joseph Radinsky, z”l.
The event, run by Bnei Akiva Shlichim Ori and Aviva Friedman and co-hosted by RMBA and UOS, gave participants the opportunity to partake in numerous different chessed opportunities, both on and off campus.
The event kicked off with a community davening, followed by a delicious breakfast and a presentation by Rabbi Sprung commemorating Rabbi Radinsky. Participants then rotated among different tables where they were able to make care packages for the homeless, mishloach manot for the Medallion residents, friendship bracelets to benefit the Friendship Circle, Purim cards for IDF soldiers, cookies for the fire station, sandwiches for homeless, plant seeds for Tu B’shvat, finish sefer tehillim, and donate blood.
Off-campus, families visited the Aishel House, baking cookies, decorating bags, and packaging the cookies up to be delivered to hospitals.
After the event, the second annual Basketball for Chessed event was held at the RMBA gym. The 3*3 tournament raised money for the organization Avokat Or.
Avokat Or was founded in 2004 by parents of children with multiple disabilities, mainlly blindness coupled with either mental, physical, developmental, or communication challenges. The day center is located in Jerusalem and offers living quarters as well as activities that allow the participants to lead meaningful lives.
Thank you to Avi and Tali Tesler who work closely with the organization and sponsored snacks and drinks for the tournament.