Temple Emanu-El students donate care items to the homeless in Long Beach

Students from Temple Emanu-El B’nai Mitzvah volunteered to donate 100 bags of personal care items to the homeless people in the City of Long Beach.

The bags, which contained items like hand sanitizer, masks, toothbrushes, toothpaste, lip balm, socks, hats, gloves and more, will be distributed by the Long Beach Police Department. The students, who ranged from sixth to eighth graders, also added a personal touch to each bag and added tags with messages of encouragement.

“This was a very special opportunity for our students to demonstrate, in a hands-on way, their commitment to social justice, to causes that matter to them and to give them a real feel for what it’s like to help others in need,” Rabbi Jack Zanerhaft said. “It’s really inspiring to know that the younger generation could be so moved to do the right thing.”

With homelessness being a challenge in Long Beach, Zanerhaft said, city officials and police were happy to receive the donation. He added that each police car will have at least two pouches to give out to the homeless.

Religious Education Director, Sandy Schumer, lauded the students for their efforts and thanked the Marilyn Lichtman Foundation for the grant that made this project possible.

“It was a wonderful experience for our students to learn the value of an “Anonymous Mitzvah,” Schumacher said. “They won’t actually get to witness the person their pouch goes to but they will know in their hearts that they have made a difference to a person of need in our community.”