Have fun while doing good for our community by participating in Temple Beth El's Mitzvah Day!

Schedule
9:15 am - Bone marrow donor registration with NMDP (formerly Be The Match) and other morning mitzvah projects begin. Can't attend? You can still register to be a bone marrow donor. See how >
11:30 am - Dane County Trash Lab
11:45 am - Special lunch honoring Rabbi Biatch
1:00 pm - Afternoon mitzvah projects begin
1:00 pm - Learning Workshop: Moving From Charity to Justice: A Workshop in Faithful Advocacy
2:00 pm - Kehillah Café: Join us in the Weinstein Community Court for some nosh, community connection and reflection, and more. Stop in anytime after or between Mitzvah Day projects.
The Temple Beth El kehillah (community) will once again come together for a day of tikkun olam (repairing our world), n’divut (generosity), g’milut chasadim (acts of lovingkindness), and y’didut (friendship) on Sunday, April 14 for Mitzvah Day. Activities will be held at Temple Beth El and around the community. Whether you enjoy cooking, crafting, gardening, or just having some quality time with other Temple members, Mitzvah Day offers hands-on activities for everyone.

Lunch Honoring Rabbi Biatch
Temple Beth El's Mitzvah Day lunch will have added significance this year as we honor Rabbi Biatch’s 19 years of service and dedication to tikkun olam, highlighting his passions for advocacy and social justice. Since he began his tenure at Temple Beth El he has championed and supported actions and dialogue on a wide range of issues to make our local, national, and international community a safer and more just place.

Our lunch honoring Rabbi Biatch will offer members an opportunity to learn about the many important projects and initiatives he has undertaken. The first recipient of the new Rabbi Jonathan A. Biatch Tikkun Olam Award will be honored on Mitzvah Day during lunch. There will be an exhibit of some of Rabbi Biatch's personal and congregational actions and involvement promoting tikkun olam.

In this spirit, lunch will feature Afghani food by Bakht Mohammad, owner of Afghan Kabul Cuisine, a local Afghan refugee chef. Lunch is $10 per household. Register below along with your Mitzvah Day projects.

The meal will include:

• Vegetarian Kabuli Pulao, the national dish of Afghanistan, featuring fried basmati rice, carrot, raisins, almonds, and spices.
• Chicken Biryani, featuring rice, chicken, and aromatic spices including garam masala.
• Bean Karaye, a dish that includes beans, onions, tomato, and aromatic spices, including coriander.
• In addition, Rocky Rococo individual pizzas will be served.

Learning Workshop: Moving from Charity to Justice: A Workshop in Faithful Advocacy
This workshop for teens and adults starts at 1:00 pm. We’ll explore tools and strategies for effective advocacy and practice writing a letter to the editor. Reproductive rights will be used as an example subject; participants are also invited to come with an issue of concern to them. This workshop is being offered through Wisconsin Faith Voices for Justice and in honor of Rabbi Biatch’s advocacy and social justice work. We also have a more youth-friendly project associated with advocacy as well.

Dane County Trash Lab
This fully accessible cargo trailer was created by the Dane County Department of Waste & Renewables in collaboration with Madison Children’s Museum to educate, advocate, and motivate us to create less trash and rethink our relationship with waste. It will be parked outside of Temple from 11:30 am to 2:00 pm. Everyone of all ages is invited to stop in to explore its playful interactive stations, engaging stories, and a wealth of data, along with compelling photography and video footage. Stop in for five minutes or fifty, it's up to you. Learn more.

Bone Marrow Donor Drive
The biggest mitzvah of all is pikuach nefesh, to save a human life. NMDP (formerly Be The Match) will be available on Mitzvah Day to help those ages 18–40 swab their cheeks and be added to a life-saving stem cell transplant registry. Those who are not 18–40 can help by registering people or sharing this important opportunity with others.

The following items are being collected to support our Mitzvah Day projects:
Ronald McDonald House care package items
$5 coffee gift cards (EVP Coffee or Dunkin)
Tea bags
Mugs
Sleep masks
Fuzzy socks
Fragrance-free lotion
Stress ball or fidget “toys”
Refillable water bottles
New decks of playing cards
Other small card games
Puzzle books (crossword, sudoku, etc.)
Worsted weight yarn and knitting needles size 7–9 to be used for projects distributed to those in need by Madison Knitters’ Guild
Nail care items: nail polish, nail polish remover, cotton balls, nail files
Magazines (or similar media) with pictures of common household or food items (to be cut out for vocabulary flash cards)

Full details and register at https://www.tbemadison.org/event/mitzvahday2024