Mezuzah mitzvah

Earlier this year during a Shabbat service with the Jewish Pavilion, a resident had requested a mezuzah for her room. She is a survivor of the Holocaust and she “hid” from persecution at a Catholic orphanage in Belgium. Her request inspired me to include a mezuzah-making project with the children at Ohev Shalom on their “mitzvah day” at Hebrew school. They lovingly and carefully rolled and inserted the Hebrew prayers inside the mezuzah, which they created and decorated. Then they learn the Shema prayer. We talked about having this ritual object on their doors would help the elders feel “at home” and closer to Judaism. I promised the children that I would take their homemade mezuzahs to the elders in the community who needed and wanted them, that I would take photos of the residence receiving their gifts and that I would share those pictures with them. Here is Penny Juang with the mezuzah she made and resident Hy Sardy happily holding his mezuzah.