The members of Women’s League sisterhoods have a long tradition of projects that fulfill the organization’s mission of providing help for those in need. Some are fundraisers for specific programs and others bring the women themselves onto the front lines of tikkun olam—repairing the world.

 

Here are a few examples.

 

The sisterhood of Temple Beth David, Rochester, New York, bakes honey cakes both as a fundraiser and to send to Jewish soldiers in Iraq and Afghanistan and aboard the aircraft carrier the USS Abraham Lincoln. A Jewish female soldier from the carrier thanked the women during a recent Shabbat morning service.

 

Together with the congregation and Jewish Federation of Greater Philadelphia, the sisterhood of Tifereth Israel of Lower Bucks County (Bensalem, Pennsylvania) will be cooking soup to be delivered for Meals on Wheels and those in need in the Philadelphia area. Some sisterhood members will also help winterize three homes in the area as their project for Mitzvah Day.

 

Children in the Allison Elementary School enjoy an annual Fun Night thanks to the members of Agudas Achim’s sisterhood in Austin, Texas. Through hands-on activities and various collection efforts, members of the sisterhood make a real difference in the lives of the children, since 90% of them come from low income families. Each year the Fun Night rotates among science, math and reading and about 150 kids receive books, games, and snacks.

 

The sisterhood at the Jacksonville Jewish Center, Jacksonville, Florida, has an extraordinary schedule of tikkun olam projects throughout the year. Last winter members knit wool caps for Israeli soldiers and sent them along with items for the soldiers’ kits. In the spring, the women helped with an art project at a day care center for disabled adults. Later in the year, they knit and crocheted chemo caps, and then donated dozens of pairs of shoes to Soles4Souls.

 

The sisterhood’s most recent project has been painting a shelter for homeless and runaway teens. For almost three months, they have been working to brighten the walls of the facility with some amazing artwork in the common areas created by two members who are artists.

 

The sisterhood has also adopted a residential area that will soon house foster children, ages 16 to 21, and will be providing the items each of the residents will need when they move in.

 

They also collect food during Sukkot for the food bank at the Jewish Family and Children’s Services office.

 

Photos below: Children from the Allison Elementary School enjoy a reading pajama party during Fun Night, an annual event brought to them by the sisterhood of Agudas Achim in Austin, Texas.