Six hundred elementary students used their knowledge, energy and skills in a cooperative effort pairing their classes with helping organizations in Chicago and Israel. Students and faculty alike were filled with excitement as Bernard Zell Anshe Emet Day School held its second annual Day of Service in late 2015.

It’s an event created in memory of former Head of School Dr. Alyson Horwitz’s late husband, Judd Horwitz; one where the entire school comes together to honor Mr. Horwitz’s passion and tireless dedication to those less fortunate with acts of loving kindness of their own. Classes tied their mitzvah projects to specific social-justice issues, matching their efforts with organizations that have similar missions.

The Jewish United Fund’s TOV volunteer network helped coordinate activities with service agencies and organizations. In addition, the effort was supported by JUF’s Breakthrough Fund. “With power and passion, all can help make the world a better place,” Dr. Horwitz said at the opening presentation. She urged students to “be bold, be compassionate, and be caring… not only about our families and friends, but also about others.”

Students received additional inspiration from cancer survivor and Imerman Angels founder Jonny Imerman, who started a program through which other survivors can personally provide emotional support for people dealing with similar cancers. Brielle Collins, a Bernard Zell graduate, spoke about United Hatzalah, an Israeli emergency response network of 3,000 medics.

Head of School Noah S. Hartman noted, “At Bernard Zell, we strive to create the foundation of an engaged Jewish life-each of our students know that they have the capacity to make the world a better place. On the Day of Service, these ideals become actions which reflect our deep commitment to humanity and truly define the spirit of our school.”

From planting flowers to making blankets, students participated in a variety of mitzvah projects that integrated with the school’s curriculum. Led by eighth-graders, the nursery school students and junior kindergartners planted flowers in window boxes and flowerpots. Later, fifth-graders delivered the flowers to residents of The Selfhelp Home.

Senior kindergartners made blankets for baby sloths orphaned by deforestation, an issue they studied in class. “Baby sloths don’t have much fur, so they need help getting warm,” explained Max Golding, 6, of Lakeview. The blankets help the sloths “feel like their mom and dad are there.”

First-graders painted wooden “buddy benches” for the EZRA Multi-Service Center, the Under the Rainbow youth outpatient program at Sinai Health Systems, and Lozano Elementary School. Georgie Gell, 6, of Lakeview, said that buddy benches were places for shy students to sit as a way of telling other kids they wanted to be invited to play.

Second-graders made lunches that included healthy sandwiches and hand-made placemats for Inspiration Corporation, which helps people who are homeless become more self-reliant. Meanwhile, sixth-graders were wrist-deep in kneading “no bake” cookies-combining oats, dates, sunflower seeds, and cinnamon-for Temple Sholom’s Night Ministry to distribute to homeless teens.

Charlie Cohen, an 11-year-old from the Gold Coast, said, “It’s good to know we’re making people happy.” Classmate Lucy Gold, 12, of Lakeview, added that the class studied homelessness, imagining what it would be like to survive on $5 a week. They also studied food justice with Pushing the Envelope Farm.

Also focusing on homelessness were the fourth-graders who made blankets, and the third-graders who facilitated a toiletry drive for The ARK. Fifth-graders packed gift bags with toiletries and candies-plus origami figures and greeting cards they made-for the Little Brothers-Friends of the Elderly. Josie Stahl, 11, of Lakeview, said that she had received gift bags at birthday parties, “but never this good!”

Barbara Applebaum, fifth grade humanities teacher, praised TOV for helping the school pair the classes with organizations, adding that these would become ongoing relationships for each grade. “We want to make (service) authentic and meaningful,” she said. “The teachers are just as passionate about this day as the students are. The joy in the building today is amazing.”