Join us for Mitzvah Day 2025 when we come together to give back to the greater community through acts of kindness, service, and connection and present Marcia Vandercook with the Biatch Tikkun Olam Award.

Mitzvah Day is an opportunity for everyone, from young children to older adults, to come together and make a meaningful impact in the lives of others, and strengthen the bonds with fellow Temple Beth El (TBE) members. Lunch and refreshments will be provided as we celebrate the spirit of community and service that lies at the heart of our Jewish tradition. If you have any questions, please contact Aleeza at engage@tbemadison.org.

Our activities for the day will center around the Jewish values of tikkun olam (repairing our world), n’divut (generosity), g’milut chasadim (acts of loving kindness), and y’didut (friendship). 

There’s something for every age group and skill set, so register your family and invite your TBE friends to sign up too. Projects include cooking, crafting, gardening, and more. Some projects have limited space, and may fill up fast. Many of our projects from past years are returning, such as fleece blankets for Project Linus, meals for Ronald McDonald House and Catholic Multicultural Center, cleanup at the Goodman Center (east side) or Goodman Campus (Verona), spreading mulch at Beit Olamim cemetery, and manicures for residents of the Capitol Lakes retirement community. Registration and information for the National Bone Marrow Registry will again be part of the day. New projects for 2025 include a cleanup at Domestic Abuse Intervention Services (DAIS), and organizing men’s clothes for those recently released from incarceration. 

To assist with our projects we’re collecting these items in the coatroom, along with monetary donations for project supplies.Thank you to the many TBE groups, committees, and individuals who have stepped up to coordinate Mitzvah Day service projects! 

There will be morning project offerings for adults while Religious School is in session (including Tots and Tunes for preschoolers and their grown-ups), and then we will kick off the rest of our day with lunch together, where we’ll present Marcia Vandercook with the Rabbi Jonathan Biatch Tikkun Olam Award. After lunch, community service projects will be available for all ages. Stop by our Kehillah (Community) Cafe during the afternoon for a snack, connection, and more.

• 9:00 am - Morning mitzvah projects begin (project start times vary)
• 9:15 am - Religious School, with Cafe Panim in the Frank Adult Lounge with opportunity for World Zionist Congress Voting
• 10:45 am - Tots and Tunes
• 11:50 am - Lunch including pep rally with presentation of the Rabbi Biatch Tikkun Olam Award
• 1:00 pm - Afternoon mitzvah projects begin (project start times vary)
• 1:30 pm - Kehillah Café Opens: Join us in the Weinstein Community Court for some nosh, community connection, and reflection. Some of our projects will be taking place here too.

Have fun together while doing good for our community!

Quick links:

• Lunch
• Rabbi Biatch Tikkun Olam Award
• Bone Marrow Donor Drive
• Join our Blood Donor Team
• Kehillah Café
• About Registration
• Mitzvah Day Projects
• Project Quick Guide PDF
• Items Being Collected in Advance
• Questions?
• REGISTER NOW

Lunch

Thanks to Adamah (falafel contains gluten), Ian’s Pizza and Rocky Rococo (one pizza will be gluten free), and Hy-Vee (salad) for donating our lunch items. Thanks to their donations we’re able to fuel you for doing good at no cost to you, though we do ask that you register to help our organizers and facilities team. Lunch will include the presentation of the Rabbi Biatch Tikkun Olam Award and a pep rally for our day of service. You’re also welcome to bring your own lunch to enjoy together with us.

Rabbi Biatch Tikkun Olam Award

The Rabbi Biatch Tikkun Olam Award was established in 2024 to honor Rabbi Jonathan Biatch, TBE’s senior rabbi from 2005 to 2024, and current rabbi emeritus, specifically to honor volunteers who, like Rabbi Biatch, have a passion for advocacy and social justice and dedication to tikkun olam, repairing the world. During his tenure at TBE Rabbi Biatch championed and supported actions and dialogue on a wide range of issues to make our local, national, and international community a safer and more just place. This year we will honor Marcia Vandercook with the Rabbi Jonathan Biatch Tikkun Olam Award for her years of service through the Temple Social Action Committee and as Civic Engagement Action Team chair, her work on the Social Justice Spotlight, and her many efforts elevating others in this holy work. Join us at lunch to recognize Marcia and learn more about her contributions to TBE and our greater community. 

Bone Marrow Donor Drive

The biggest mitzvah of all is pikuach nefesh, to save a human life. In the spirit of this value we will again offer the opportunity to join the National Marrow Donor Program. On Mitzvah Day those ages 18–40 will be able to swab their cheeks to be added to a life-saving stem cell transplant registry. Those who are not 18–40 can help by sharing this important opportunity with others. Look for the information and swabbing table inside the Swarsensky Social Hall starting at 10 am before Tots and Tunes and during lunch, and as part of Kehillah Cafe in the afternoon. Last year we were able to add 9 new potential donors to the registry. Joining the registry does not commit you to anything beyond opening yourself to potentially save a life. If you’re a match for someone you would be contacted with further information and options for next steps. Not able to join us on April 27 but interested in joining the registry? Text TBEMadison to 61474 to join the registry today and be credited to our drive.  

Join our Blood Donor Team

Come together with the 22 TBE members that are already part of the “Temple Beth El Madison” Red Cross team that have impacted 3,000 lives. You can also do pikuach nefesh (saving a life) as part of our donor team. If you’re already a donor through the Red Cross, join our team and see our collective impact in your app. Thinking about being a donor but have questions? Let Aleeza Hoffert know, and she’ll match you up with some of our experienced donors who can chat with you about it. There will not be the opportunity to donate as part of Mitzvah Day itself, though we’re happy to help facilitate your donating in any way we can. 

Kehillah Café

Join us in the Weinstein Community Court any time from 1:30 to 4:30 pm to enjoy a snack, view pictures from Mitzvah Day, catch up with friends or meet new ones, share your Mitzvah Day experiences, and more. Some of our service projects will also be taking place at Kehillah Cafe. 

There’s a space on the registration form to contribute to our cafe snacks. Sweet or savory, homemade or store bought items are all welcome as long they are labeled with ingredients or for common allergens. A Mitzvah Day co-chair will reach out to those who indicate they would donate a snack item. 

Registration

Register below, or click here to open the form in a new window. View the Mitzvah Day Project Quick Guide PDF to learn about all the project options. Registration for projects is on a first come, first served basis. Many projects have limited space and will fill up. Please note that remaining spaces or if a project is full is only viewable on the registration form, not the Mitzvah Day Project Quick Guide PDF. Projects that are full will say “fully booked,” or if space is available, the number of remaining spots will be shown (see image below). Please reach out to Aleeza at engage@tbemadison.org with any questions.

Mitzvah Day Projects

There are many different Mitzvah Projects to choose from. View the Mitzvah Day Project Quick Guide PDF to learn about all the project options. Space is limited for most projects, so don't delay, register today!

• Assembling Health Care Kits for Planned Parenthood 
• Bags, Bath and Beyond for Refugees
• Bone Marrow Donor Registry
• Buckthorn Removal at Camp Shalom 
• Capitol Lakes Nail Salon
• Caring Committee Connection Cards
• Cooking for Catholic Multicultural Center
• Dane County Humane Society Thrift Store Cleanup
• Diaper Duty sort and bundle
• Fiber Arts Schmooze Community Knit-a-thon for Knitters Guild 
• Keys to Success craft keychains
• Landscaping at DAIS
• Meals for Returning Citizens
• Men's Clothing Sort and Store
• Mensches Spreading Mulch
• Mitzvah Day Mensches
• PJ Library Family Mitzvah Project for Ronald McDonald House
• Project Linus Blankets
• Pull Invasives from the Cedar Buffer
• Ronald McDonald House Cooking

Questions?

Contact Aleeza A. Hoffert, program coordinator, at engage@tbemadison.org or 608-238-3123, or one of our Mitzvah Day co-chairs: Lynn Renner, Linda Reivitz, and Staci Rieder.

Find our accessibility measures and visitor guide on our in-person information page.