J-Stars at the Kosher Food Bank: (front row l-r) Donna Sadovnic and Camila Hojda; (back row l-r) Faryn Scheck, Sarah Feterman, Rachel Fiske, Sarah Fiske, Nicole Scheck. Shani Azizollahoff and Carli Scheck with KFB Coordinator Bonnie Schwartzbaum
Shani Azizollahoff, Alice Serfati and Carli Scheck, all in 11th grade, started Jewish Students Taking an Active Role, or J-Star. The Hillel club teams up with the Greater Miami Jewish Federation to perform community service projects in and around Miami-Dade. Community service is key to Hillel’s graduation requirements, with every student required to earn at least 100 hours by the completion of 12th grade. Hillel students typically go above and beyond this number, taking the lead to introduce new projects like this one as they carry on traditional school projects as well.
The JCS Kosher Food Bank was recently the recipient of this groups’ largesse, as they spent their Sunday morning shopping and then came to the Food Bank to stock the shelves.
J-Star has run numerous successful service events already this year, such as cooking Thanksgiving dinner for the homeless and delivering Shabbat challah and wine to the sick in the hospital. To date, J-Star has raised more than $800 with phone-a-thons and tzedakah boxes located throughout Hillel.
J-Star currently seeks student volunteers for the Greater Miami Jewish Federation’s 2012 Super Sunday weekend, when the Mitzvah Miami Program of the Jewish Volunteer Center will host a Miami Dade Older Adults Senior Prom. Teen volunteers will serve dinner, dance with the guests and help make the evening a special, memorable occasion. Also on Super Sunday, students will make phone calls to raise money for Federation and Hillel, an agency of GMJF. If Hillel recruits the most volunteers, GMJF with donate $1,000 to the school.
Shani Azizollahoff, Alice Serfati and Carli Scheck
Save the Date: Super Sunday will be Sunday, March 18, 3-7 pm, at the Greater Miami Jewish Federation (Stanley C. Myers Building 4200 Biscayne Boulevard, Miami, FL 33137). All Hillel students are eligible to participate. Simply RSVP through one of the J-Star student leaders, Hillel’s Development Office or by emailing volunteer@gmjf.org.
Kol Hakavod to Shani, Alice and Carli for leading the way!