Our B’not Mitzvah students are making good progress on their mitzvah project to collect school supplies for homeless children. The girls have been touched by the generosity of the Beth Israel community, especially when they received a shipment of school supplies worth nearly $500, from one member! We asked Steve Milgrom to share a little about himself and the motivation(s) behind his generous donation. Here’s what he said:

“I’m originally from the Motor City (Detroit) and have been enjoying San Diego for the past 3 years. I began attending Minyan services at Beth Israel about two years ago and became a member of the Congregation shortly thereafter. I’m an attorney by profession and have four smart, beautiful, wonderful children, all of whom (sadly) still live in Michigan.

I decided to make a donation for a number of reasons. First and foremost is the need. I volunteer at the Legal Aid Society of San Diego in their low income tax clinic. We have many clients who are homeless (its a bit of an oxymoron that a homeless person would have IRS problems but that’s a story for another day). As I’ve gotten to know them I’ve been struck by the old saying “There but the grace of God go I.” For many of the adult homeless its a temporary situation and they know that with time and effort they will find housing. Their kids are stuck. There is nothing the kids can do to change their living situation and they probably don’t fully understand why they are in the situation. During this critical phase of their lives they are forced to leave their homes, possibly changing schools and leaving their friends behind. Stability is something I worked to make sure my kids had. While I can’t provide it to these kids, any little act of kindness has got to be helpful. I was particularly attracted to the idea that 100% of my donation would go directly to the kids to help their education.

From a Jewish perspective, need I say more than supporting education. Another important aspect of this was the fact that Beth Israel was behind it. It puts a Jewish face on the donation. When I spoke with Karen Alexander to learn more about their needs I let her know that I was just one of many making a donation thru Beth Israel. Anti-semism is on the rise in many parts of the world. One way to fight this is for us Jews to engage with the larger community. Living in a shtetl, apart from our Christian and Muslim neighbors, makes us an easy target for hatred. Hopefully Beth Israel’s gift to the kids will foster goodwill with all the families who benefit. Its good PR for the Jews. Something we can always use.

An added note: I’d like to emphasize the ease of doing this online. Even though Amazon’s pricing was not as low as some in store pricing at places like WalMart, not having to do the shopping and delivery was worth the (small) extra cost. What would have likely taken hours to accomplish at a brick and mortar shop was reduced to minutes from the comfort of my home.”

Whether you purchase online or drop your donations in the collection bins by the front and back entrance gates, or by the Religious School and Administration Buildings, Steve, Julia, Olivia, all of us at Beth Israel, and many homeless children say “Thank you!” The collection runs at Beth Israel until September 5. REMEMBER TO BRING SCHOOL SUPPLIES TO SHABBABEQUE TO DONATE!