Putting the lessons of Tikkun Olam in action
Photo by Drew Selman - Jamie Selman and Isabella "Izzy" Greenblatt completing a flannel for "Project Linus", Sunday at Congregation B'nai Amoona in Creve Couer, MO.
Creve Couer (January 31, 2010) — Teaching about charity and repairing the world got a practical lesson Sunday when twelve students of Congregation B’nai Amoona’s 8th grade Chet class put those ideas into action by creating flannel blankets for patients at the St. Louis Children’s Hospital. Invited to participate by the B’nai Amoona Sisterhood, these post-bar and bat mitzvah students participated in “Project Linus” to create approximately 15 to 18 blankets for patients.
Project Linus is a national non-profit organization that encourages local chapters to provide warmth and comfort to children who are seriously ill, traumatized, or otherwise in need through the gifts of new, handmade blankets and afghans, created by volunteer “blanketeers.” The philanthropy has chapters in all 50 states and both collects and creates blankets for distribution to in need children where ever they are found.
“It was wonderful!”, said Jan Baron, the Chet class teacher. “The children did a great job working on the blankets and jumped right in to help. They sat and cut and tied the blankets so diligently,” she added. The class had voted to send the blankets to St Louis Children’s Hospital after they heard a presentation from the local chapter leader, Myra Moskowitz the week before. This is the second year that the Chet class has participated in the creating blankets.
The next step for the class will be stuffing “Build-a-Bear” teddy bears for the program “Give Kids a Smile.” “Give Kids a Smile” was founded by local dentist Jeff Dalin to bring dental care to inner city children who could not otherwise afford it.
Photo by Drew Selman - A stack of flannel blankets completed by student and adult volunteers for "Project Linus" at Congregation B'nai Amoona in Creve Couer on Sunday.
Photo by: Drew Selman Student Volunteers pose with some of the blankets they helped create for "Project Linus" Sunday at Congregation B'nai Amoona in Creve Couer, MO.
