As part of the J-Serve international day of youth community service, approximately 500 Jewish teenagers from the Bay Area volunteered at 30 different sites on April 22. Worldwide that day, more than 10,000 Jewish kids volunteered in their communities.
Eric Palonsky, the leader of BBYO’s Danville chapter, helped run a variety show for residents of the Reutlinger Community for Jewish Living in Danville. Alana Levine-Gorelick led a bowling session with a group of special-needs children in Albany. Dan Meade and Maya Harlev led work sessions at Urban Adamah in Berkeley. Sierra Lash, president of BBYO’s Oakland chapter, led a crew of 20 Jewish teenagers who helped out at Sunrise Assisted Living in Oakland.
Other volunteer assignments included cleaning up a creek area in Oakland, cleaning up the beach in San Francisco and helping at a food pantry in Fremont.
J-Serve is a partnership between BBYO, the Foundation for Jewish Camp, the Jewish Community Center Association, the Jewish Federations of North America, the Jewish Student Union, the Jewish Teen Funders Network, NCSY, NFTY, Rock the Vote, USY and Young Judaea. For more information, visit www.j-serve.org.