MLK Day of Service

 

For over a decade, PSJC has honored the memory of Dr. Martin Luther King by spending the day giving back to the community.  Rabbi Joshua Heschel, pictured above with Reverend King, called us to social action by suggesting that we "pray with our feet"  - on the MLK Day of Service we expand this mandate to "pray with the works of our hands." Each year, nearly 200 community members - adults and children - come together to volunteer on many, many projects.  Activities typically include making shelf-stable soup kits, putting together hygiene kits for the Brooklyn Family Justice Center (FJC), sorting books and clothing for donation, knitting and crocheting preemie caps and baby blankets, participating in letter-writing campaigns in support of refugees, making meals to stock the PSJC freezer, and so much more.

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For example, at a typical MLK Day of service we will prepare 4000+ servings of shelf-stable soup; hundreds of portions of baked ziti, chili, chickpea stew and quiche for the shul freezers; 500 PB&J sandwiches; Hundreds of snack kits and toiletry kits for the FJC; boxes of kids' books for Brooklyn Legal Aid; dozens of gorgeous "stained-glass" crafts, hand-made for God's Love We Deliver; hand-knitted washcloths for the FJC; dozens and dozens of bags of used clothing; and almost 200 letters in support of refugee rights. 

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