When we hear the words “community service” we often think about cleaning a park, donating clothes to charity or helping out at a local library. Organizing a party with free food and entertainment doesn’t really come to mind. As the co-chair of this year’s Senior Prom, one of several projects that are part of the Federation’s September Community Service Day, I can tell you that it certainly doesn’t feel like traditional community service.
My attraction to this event stems from my admiration of my grandmother.
A mother’s love for her child is unconditional. I know this because I see what my grandmother has done and continues to do for her children and grandchildren every day. At 28, she lost her husband in a car accident, leaving her to raise five children on her own. She moved to a new country with no knowledge of the English language or culture, but somehow managed to make friends with everyone in the community regardless of their religion or nationality. She is the first person to show up and the last person to leave at every event, so she can help set up and clean up. When my mother and father were sent to prison during the Iranian Revolution, she was the one who negotiated their freedom with the Islamic Republic. Every Thursday she takes the first bus to the famers market, so she can buy the freshest quince for my favorite Persian dish when she cooks Shabbat dinner for our family. She was the first person to visit me after I had surgery and the last person to leave at my college graduation. Every week she calls me to ask me why I haven’t called her this week (it’s a Persian thing). Whether it’s preparing and delivering a home cooked meal for those less fortunate or visiting friends who have no family, she is always eager to help those around her regardless of what’s going on in her own life.
No matter what the situation may be, my grandmother continues to be a rock for our family–she is the glue that holds us together. Her dedication to us and to her community is unparalleled. The Jewish concept of Mesorah (“to hand down”) highlights the link between us and the past; the unbroken chain of Jewish generations going back to Mount Sinai. The essence of Mesorah is the development from generation to generation for over 3,000 years. Without our parents, grandparents and great grandparents the core of Judaism would be lost.
In each society, different values are emphasized – in Judaism dedication to the people around us is greater than anything else. No one exemplifies this more than the elderly. We are who we are because of them and the sacrifices they’ve made to preserve the continuity of the Jewish people. I am co-chairing the Senior Prom as a way of thanking my grandmother and others just like her for their acts of Mesorah and all that they have given us.
I hope you will join me and fellow YALA members in taking one day out of the year to show our appreciation for some of the seniors in the community, for all that they have done, and continue to do for us!
The Senior Prom will take place on Sunday, September 9, 2012 12:00 PM – 5:30 PM at the Westside JCC. Young adults, ages 25-40, interested in volunteering can learn more here.
