By Maddie Kunkel, LIBERTY Membership Vice President
To ring in the new year, the LIBERTY board dedicated our January program to giving back to the community. LIBERTY, which stands for Life in Beth El Reform Temple Youth, is Temple Beth El’s chapter of NFTY-SAR (North American Federation of Temple Youth Southern Area Region), a youth movement within the Union for Reform Judaism (URJ). Our goal is to create a welcoming space where Jewish teens in Charlotte can explore their faith, form friendships, and have fun. One of the most important values in Judaism is Tikkun Olam, a Hebrew phrase meaning “repairing the world.” Through our social action events, we actively take steps toward creating a better world.
On Saturday, January 25, we gathered at Temple Beth El for two special projects: making no-sew blankets for the Atrium Health Levine Children’s Hospital and assembling Shabbat kits for Jewish Family Services of Greater Charlotte. We chose these projects because they reflect Kehilah (community), one of NFTY’s core principles. By making blankets for children in the hospital, we hope to provide warmth and comfort, letting them know that a community is cheering them on and praying for their recovery. Our Shabbat kits, filled with tea lights, printed blessings, and juice boxes, remind those facing challenges that no matter their background or circumstances, they are part of the greater Jewish community. LIBERTY President Jocelyn Siegel shared why this project was so meaningful: “We wanted to give back to the community in a way that could resonate with our Jewish identities. We love doing Shabbat and Havdalah together, so we wanted others to feel the same joy that we feel on these days, and we figured this would be the perfect way to do so!”
Throughout the event, we had a meaningful conversation about why these projects mattered to us. Asher Schreibman, a LIBERTY member, reflected on his experience. “Making the blankets was nice because I don’t really do volunteering like this much, but it makes me feel good that these fun blankets are going to kids who need it.” LIBERTY Programming Vice President Jacob Schwartz added, “Hospitals can be scary places for kids, but if they are given a warm blanket, hopefully it will make the experience much less scary.”
After sharing our own childhood hospital experiences, we all agreed that even the smallest gestures, like a handmade blanket, can improve a child’s mood throughout their hospital stay.
This event was just the beginning of many social action events LIBERTY has planned for 2025. As we continue our commitment to Tikkun Olam, we encourage our community to join us—whether by attending events like this, volunteering, or even spreading kindness in small ways, like offering a smile to someone who needs it. Together, we can make the world a better place!
