Last Monday morning, students and faculty were moved and inspired by the words of Mirlana Morris, the mother of Donny Morris z”l (and sister of �鶹���� faculty member Shira Kronenberg). Morris spoke to the entire yeshiva ahead of Donny’s second yahrzeit, about holding on to emunah following her son’s loss, and about the power of small acts of kindness—a huge part of Donny’s legacy that continues to shine so brightly for all who knew him and learn about his life.

Throughout the week, �鶹���� students engaged in different activities that enhanced the community of kindness in Donny’s memory. Students made brachot l’ilui nishmato; wrote thank you cards to teachers and staff throughout the week (perfect timing for Teacher Appreciation Week); collected many bags of clothing for Yad Leah; wrote cards for children with cancer, through Zichron Menachem and more.

On Lag B’Omer night, over 70 �鶹���� talmidim and talmidot went with faculty members Rabbi Michael Bashist and Racheli Israeli on a special Lag B’Omer trip to the Hilula of Rabbi Shimon bar Yochai. They started at the Ohel of the Lubavitcher Rebbe, where they composed handwritten notes and shared personal tefillot. They then went to a celebration at Aish Kodesh in Woodmere, given by Rav Moshe Weinberger, where they sang and heard words of inspiration. The following morning, each grade got to take trips to different fun places in the New York-New Jersey area. Sophomores biked, flew kites and played ball on Governors Island, while freshmen, juniors and seniors enjoyed the attractions at American Dream Mall.

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The student organizers—Rikki Ashman, Rebecca Kieffer, Ayelet Motechin, Daniel Sarasohn, Jeanie Moses and Yakira Weinberg—along with �鶹���� Nurse Leah Shteingart partnered with the New York Blood Center to collect the donations. Eighty one units were collected during the fall semester, 91 in the spring.

Students were driven to get involved in order to do chesed and help boost the region’s blood stores; after all, every two seconds someone in the United States needs blood. “You can’t get blood when you need it without donors,” said Rebecca Kieffer, one of the student organizers. “It was really special to see our �鶹���� community come together and help those in need. I was really amazed by the whole planning process from start to finish and I am so proud that we were able to collect 91 units of blood this semester!”

The drive also offered a long-lasting lesson. “I found it amazing how as young students we were able to help people and make a difference,” said �鶹���� senior Ayelet Motechin. “The blood drive gives us an opportunity to help and have an impact—it doesn’t matter who you are, where you live or your age. It inspired me to do more in life.”

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The mouth-watering, finished pies were donated to Jewish Family and Child Services.

“Cougars love uniting,” said Moses. “And what better way to unite than pick apples in the field, and give back to the community.”

The program emphasized the importance of giving before the Yamim Noraim. Students were asked to imagine someone not as privileged as them, alone on Rosh Hashanah. When they receive an apple pie from the yeshiva, it says everyone at �鶹���� cares about them and is thinking of them.

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Donny was kind, thoughtful and considerate in his everyday life to those around him—qualities that make a big impact on one’s friends, family and community, yet that everyone can emulate.

To commemorate Donny’s yahrzeit, �鶹���� faculty member and Judaic Studies Learning Center Director Shira Kronenberg (Donny’s aunt) addressed each grade and introduced a series of activities all about further enhancing the yeshiva’s community of kindness in tangible ways. Kronenberg emphasized to the students that what came forth in all the stories from friends and family about Donny was the way he would genuinely ask people how they were doing, the little gifts he would bring to iShine friends, how he made a point of phoning his grandmother every Thursday because she liked to get calls in advance of the Erev Shabbat rush—and so many other seemingly small moments that were actually of special significance to people’s lives.

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The packing event was preceded by a school-wide art supplies drive, after �鶹���� junior Richie Nadritch made a call to OHEL, a large social service agency serving thousands of people across New York and New Jersey. “I contacted OHEL because I wanted to help children,” he said. “I thought specifically during the pandemic, kids who come to OHEL might need more support now. OHEL mentioned that there is always a significant need for art supplies for their children. Children always need and really love their own supplies and use them as a way to express themselves.”

Nadritch said that the �鶹���� volunteers succeeded in packing all 250 bags in 20 minutes. He credited his peers who served on the �鶹���� committee—Jack Fischer, Noah Greenbaum, Harrison Tassler, Caleb Breda, Maayan Keigher—for all their work promoting the effort and thanked Kaila Lasky, OHEL’s coordinator of Volunteer Engagement, and Rabbi Joshua Schulman, �鶹����’s director of Chessed Programming, for their help.

“�鶹���� is such an exciting, happy place to be—the energy was incredible,” stated Lasky, who said she loved working with the students.

�鶹���� students have run a number of chesed drives during the COVID-19 pandemic, for food, coats, books, toys and more. “We have tried to address various needs that students have identified within the community,” said Rabbi Schulman. “OHEL told us we could help, and we were thrilled to do so.”

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In Houston, the students worked with Repair the World and the disaster recovery organization SBP. They learned about how houses in Houston were destroyed by Hurricane Harvey, and worked on interior wall demolition and insulation installation. The students worked so diligently that they impressed the representatives from SBP, who told them that they had accomplished twice as much as expected. On Friday, the students volunteered with the Houston Food Bank, encountering various volunteer groups from local schools. “They said to us, ‘You’re from New York and New Jersey and you came all this way? That’s awesome,’” recounted Baila Shatzkes ’20. “That made us feel really proud.”

The students spent Shabbat with the Meyerland community, bringing ruach to the shul and Shabbat meals.

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The �鶹���� delegation left New Jersey at the crack of dawn on Wednesday May 2, flew for seven hours to the island territory and “hit the ground running,” said Fleischmann. Upon arrival, the students began to build a greenhouse, paint a building and clear weeds for a site that will serve as a space for Puerto Rican youth.

The trip also served as a bonding experience for the students, and at the end of a long workday they had the opportunity to see old San Juan and celebrate Lag B’Omer (and Shabbat) at the local Chabad House. Rabbis Lashak and Fleischmann both spoke and gave presentations over Shabbat. Additionally, “Every single kid on the trip gave a Dvar Torah at some point, some in front of the larger community, and some in front of our group,” recounted Fleischmann.

The students who participated in the trip described the mission as inspiring, rewarding and fun. For Emily Gul ’20, the most rewarding part of the trip was when they completed building the greenhouse and the police officers came to see the students’ work. “The looks of gratitude on their faces were so rewarding and incredible to see,” said Gul.

“For us, building a greenhouse didn’t seem like it was such a big deal, but for the Puerto Rican kids it was a big deal, and something important for them to do,” added Andy Elbaum ’20.

Evan Haimm ’20 also noted how much the chessed delegation’s work meant to the couple whose house they painted. “The couple who owned the home…were so appreciative when we showed up and the look on their faces as we painted their homes was unforgettable. For us to know that a small group of teenagers from New Jersey could do such a minimal act of kindness and change someone’s whole life for the better inspired me to try to do more acts of chessed in the future.”

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