Americans point with pride to our founding documents, such as the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution, and we try to live by their principles. But there’s another sacred document in this country, one that arguably does more to motivate people than any other.
It’s the sign-up sheet.
America is a land of volunteers. Across the country, citizens routinely pitch in to help their neighborhoods, schools, parks and places of worship. Trash cleanups, bake sales, Little League baseball, parent-teacher associations — America truly is the barn-raising nation. That spirit of charity and volunteerism runs deep in our collective DNA.
A case in point is made in this week’s cover story featuring Burt Epstein and Fagie Rosen, the South Bay seniors who founded the Silicon Valley Jewish Film Festival a quarter-century ago. They saw a need and stepped up to get the job done.
Since 1992, Burt and Fagie have been instrumental in booking the movies, securing the theaters, getting the word out and showing up to take tickets at what has become a cultural mainstay. They do it for the love of movies and to help their local Jewish community.
The festival now has a small paid staff, but like so many other beloved institutions, its real success is due to the unsung volunteers laboring in the background.
It’s a no-brainer for this publication to highlight Burt and Fagie. They have a great story to tell and serve as an inspiration to others. But all across the Bay Area Jewish community, thousands of Burts and Fagies show up, day in and day out, to volunteer for Jewish causes and organizations.
In fact, it’s difficult to picture the Jewish community functioning without its volunteers. Jewish Family and Children’s Services is just one of several local agencies that honors volunteers at gala events every year. Federations, Hadassah, B’nai B’rith, ORT, not to mention just about every synagogue and Jewish day school — none could get things done without the sweat equity provided by parents, activists and lay leaders.
We urge everyone to take a page from Burt and Fagie’s playbook and join the growing ranks of local volunteers. Not only will it make you feel more connected to the community, it will help our community continue to grow and prosper.
All it takes is adding your name to the sign-in sheet.