“Summertime and the livin’ is easy…” that is until we received a call from OHEL Children’s Home inviting us to spend a morning with their special needs children. Ordinarily, this would be an easy program to do but in August most of our students are far away from home. Despite the timing, it was amazing to see the positive response a  simply-worded email generated. Twelve enthusiastic sophomores met at Ramaz at the ungodly vacation hour of 8:30am to head off to Yeshiva Har Torah in Queens where OHEL facilitates its summer day camp.

Our students davened, played ball, made photo cards, sang, laughed and packed Shanah Tovah apple bags with youngsters who are challenged with mental and physical disabilities. Daphna Weinstock captured the experience beautifully. “It was just amazing and so fun because when you’re with these children who are laughing like that, their laughter is just infectious.”

In the afternoon, we headed to Brooklyn to work in a huge food warehouse run by Met  Council. The Council provides meals and food packages for 20,000 Jewish families. With Yom Tov “early” this year, volunteers were needed to help with the Rosh Hashanah orders. Our students spent hours sorting and packing apples, lots and lots of apples. It was hard for them to even picture the families would standing in line, waiting for their food packages. Ariel Goldschlag summed up the day’s events powerfully. “You’re not actually whole until you help somebody—like it’s one thing to have your own joy but when you give joy to others, that’s a whole other level of having fun.” 

To get a glimpse of the day, click on Photos and enjoy!