JHP YPN Participants at JRA with Rabbi Schmidt and Rabbi Wircberg
This past Sunday, 25 young professionals helped pack boxes of food at JRA and then delivered them to homes in the Philadelphia area. We had 6 cars loaded with 60 boxes to deliver to welcoming homes. Everyone was so grateful to receive their boxes and YPN participants found it to be a rewarding experience. YPN volunteer Rachel Cohen said "Helping out at the JRA was such a great experience! It was amazing to see hundreds of people coming together to help our community, and I loved being a part of it. When we delivered the boxes, the recipients were so happy and grateful - and the feeling was completely contagious! I'm looking forward to helping out again soon."
"I had a great time yesterday at JRA! It was great to give back to the community and have fun with your friends too. I was amazed at how many people were there to help with this event. I was so happy to help pack boxes of food for the holidays and deliver them to people in need. It really was a great day!" - Nicole Porter, JHP YPN Leadership Circle
Student Spotlight: Samantha Stavis, JHP@Penn Lead Intern
Samantha Stavis joined JHP as a Freshman at Penn. Currently a Junior, Sam is majoring in Operations and Information Management and Marketing at the Wharton School.
"JHP this semester at Penn had amazing chemistry. It was a cool group of students and it was fun to attend meetings every week."
This past semester, as the Shabbat for 2000 Lead Intern, Sam's organization and outgoing personality motivated the other interns and made the event a huge success on campus. She is transitioning to a new position on the JHP@Penn student board next semester as Signature Event Advisor, helping to plan other religious, cultural, and service events.
"Being involved in JHP has given me amazing networking opportunities. The mentoring retreat this semester in New York was a huge success. JHP has shown me and allowed me to appreciate the Jewish family that exists all around me."
TORAH THOUGHT OF THE DAY: CHANUKAH
What does a soul look like? Look at the flame of a candle. A flame is bright, jumping, never resting; the natural desire of a soul is to "jump up" to G-d, to break free of physical limitations. The wick and candle anchor a flame; a physical body grounds the soul, so the soul to do its job, to give light and warmth. The human body, precious and holy, is likened to the holy Temple. The Baal Shem Tov would say, "Don't fast and hurt your body. Better, he would say, is to use your body to perform a deed of kindness.
Kindness is contagious. When our soul tells our body to do a kind deed, both the soul and body are affected. Even more, other souls around us awaken and influence their bodies to do the same. This is one reason why the Chanukah menorah is placed where it can be seen from the street, reminding us of our duty to share the spiritual light of warmth and wisdom with our surroundings.
Samantha Stavis joined JHP as a Freshman at Penn. Currently a Junior, Sam is majoring in Operations and Information Management and Marketing at the Wharton School.
