By Donald H. Harrison
SAN DIEGO – Twenty-two youths from Congregation Beth Israel have earned volunteer service commendations from President Joe Biden.
In a letter to each youth, Biden wrote: “The American story depends not on any one of us, not on some of us, but on all of us. I congratulate you on taking it upon yourself to contribute to the public good … Throughout our country’s history, the American story has been strengthened by those who combine an optimism about what can be with the resilience to turn that vision into reality. I know I’m not alone in recognizing that those who are willing to step up and volunteer in service of community and country are essential to the ongoing work of forming our more perfect union.”
The President added: “By sharing your time and passion, you are helping discover and deliver solutions to the challenges we face—solutions that we need now more than ever. We are living in a moment that calls for hope and light and love. Hope for our futures, light to see our way forward, and love for one another. Through your service, you are providing all three. On behalf of the American people, I extend my heartfelt appreciation to you for your volunteer leadership, and I encourage you to continue to answer the call to serve. The country is counting on you.”
To qualify for the Presidential Volunteer Service Award (PVSA), the youths had to donate a specified and certifiable number of hours over a year to charitable causes. Tweens and teens between the ages of 11 and 15 needed to volunteer between 50 and 74 hours to earn a gold ranking; 75 to 99 hours for silver, and 100 hours or more for gold.
Gold medalists in the t(w)een category and the number of hours they volunteered during the recently completed school year were Savion Finzi (158); Danielle Boodman (140); Ella Berkowitz (127); Jacob Haberman (124); Jaxson Winter (112); Eva Wegner (110); Max Brown (108) and Emma Kuhn (108). Silver awards were garnered by twin brothers Max and Zack Wendoll (78 each); and bronze awards went to Abby Alvarez-Milch (63); Cameron Silver (62); Sadie Fischer (60); Lilly Bellow (58); Ella Pearl (56); Lily Goldenhar (52) and Leo Burger (50).
Gold award winner Haberman commented: “”Beth Israel is like my second home and I want to be involved as much as I can with an organization that has given so much to me. I’ve been a student here since my family moved to San Diego when I was in first grade – and the relationship I have with Beth Israel has included religious school where I was consecrated and became a Bar Mitzvah and where I will be confirmed next year. I have made a lot of great friends here and I feel especially loved and supported through them and the staff. Volunteering my time as a counselor at B’nei Mitzvah Boot Camp, as an assistant in the office, and as a madrich on Sundays and weekdays in the madrichim program has given me so many new connections, helped me develop my work skills, and has made me feel like I am making a difference to younger kids the way so many madrichim made a difference to me when I was the younger kid.”
Bronze award winner Pearl said, “I like volunteering at Congregation Beth Israel to connect with my Jewish identity. At my public high school, I am one of few Jewish teens. I am often tasked with the responsibility of being a spokesperson for Judaism to educate others. It is important to teach others about our religion, but sometimes at school, I feel as if I am a single representative of the Jewish religion. I do my best to explain the joy of the Jewish holidays, but most people seem to not understand as they haven’t experienced it themselves. When I volunteer at Congregation Beth Israel I feel as if I am part of an understanding community. I volunteer as a madricha, or teacher’s helper. I get to see the kids I volunteer with experience Judaism and feel the same joy that I feel about our religion. I enjoy spending my time volunteering as I feel more involved in Jewish life. As a teen, it can be difficult to prioritize Judaism throughout our busy lives filled with school, sports, extra-curriculars, and trying to maintain a social life. When I volunteer my time at Congregation Beth Israel, I am connected to so many other Jewish people who understand the struggles I face and experience the joys I feel as a Jewish teen.”
Jessica Kretzer, Congregation Beth Israel’s director of religious programs, is authorized by PVSA to certify for the awards those youth who have met the criteria. She said that by volunteering to work two to three hours a week as madrichim (teaching assistants) over 23 weeks at the congregation’s pre-school and supplementary religious school, they can earn credit for 50 or more hours.
While many students work as madrichim to give back to the Reform congregation, some students choose to be paid rather than to collect volunteer hours. There are advantages to earning the Presidential Volunteer Service Award, Kretzer said. In addition to receiving a letter from President Biden, “They also get either a pin or a medallion that they can wear on their cords when they graduate from high school. They can keep it as a memento,” she said. And listing the award “looks beautiful on college resumes.”
Kretzer noted that many students volunteer just because they want to and are unaware of the presidential award until they are told about it.
In the Beth Israel religious school, students “work with our pre-K’s and 7th grade classes,” she said. The pre-kindergarteners attend classes on Sundays from 9 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. Other options include helping with online Hebrew classes on Wednesdays and Thursdays, or helping with 7th grade classes from 4 to 6 p.m. on Tuesdays.
“None of this is required,” Kretzer said. “It is up to them to decide how much time they want to give. When you see a kid like Savion Finzi, who has put in 158 hours this year, everyone of those hours were given to Beth Israel to help in classrooms, to help with tutoring, and to help with setting up programs.”
“We also have kids like Jacob Haberman, who volunteered the majority of his hours over the summer,” Kretzer said. “He worked in the office, set up supplies, worked in the library and on technology. So, some earn their hours in different ways.”
Daniella Boodman earned her gold medallion for 140 hours volunteered not only at Beth Israel, but also at the National Charity League and in various capacities with her school’s Associated Student Body, Kretzer reported.
The amount of hours required for Young Adults, ages 16 to 25, to win gold, silver, and bronze rankings increases substantially over those required for T(w)eens. “The reason for that is because there are so many more community service opportunities available, for liability reasons, after someone turns 16,” Kretzer said. “Opportunities open when you turn 16. There is a belief from PVSA that as you become an adult, to qualify for that award you should give more of your time to the community.”
To earn a bronze medallion, Young Adults must volunteer between 100 and 174 hours over the course of a year; 175 to 249 for silver; and 250 hours and above for gold.
Five Beth Israel youth over age 16 were able to reach the Bronze level in the Young Adult category, top among them with 140 hours, Mara Goodman, followed by Taliah Wendoll (127); Savannah Keith (115); Gabriel Malish (107) and Dalia Shupper (104.)
Goodman was credited for 57 hours as a madricha,” and as a vice president (and incoming president) of a high school club for female athletes who volunteer, she compiled additional hours managing the group’s social media and running volunteer events. “Student-run organizations qualify as community service,” Kretzer said.
“Beth Israel is a certified organization for the Presidential Volunteer Service Award, so we are allowed to give this award for any community service hours that meet the requirements of PVSA,” Kretzer said. “As long as I can verify those hours with the other organizations, I can give them credit for that work not under our supervision.”
Savannah Keith compiled 71 hours as a Beth Israel madricha; another 14 hours baking and preparing food for Beth Israel programs and running a school supply drive for preschoolers in Oceanside; and 30 hours working as an English tutor and arts and crafts instructor in the Dominican Republic through a summer program administered by Camp Mountain Chai.
Gabriela Malish earned about 50 hours at Beth Israel with the rest of her 107 hours credited for volunteer work at San Diego Safari Park, “where she leads workshops and gives presentations to the public about native species and about the environment,” Kretzer said. “Also, she is volunteering time at Jewish Family Service doing food distribution and packing, and working with a club called “Positive Helpers” at the Helen Woodward Animal Center.”
Kretzer marveled: “How blessed are we to have these kids in our community who gave us over 2,000 volunteer hours this year just for our religious school plus the work they have done for other nonprofit organizations in the city!”
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Donald H. Harrison is editor emeritus of San Diego Jewish World. He may be contacted via donald.harrison@sdjewishworld.com