Giving and Recieving: A Gift from the Jewish Federation of Metropolitan Chicago

Door l'Door is a labor of love. With each day, I am touched by the lives I touch when I give a mezuzah to an individual or family. AND I am also blown away by the emotions I feel when I receive mezuzot (more than one mezuzah) from those who want to give a mezuzah to those who have experienced the loss of their beloved homes.

Never in my wildest dreams did I expect that I would have the opportunity to make a difference in the aftermath of Hurricane Harvey or any natural disaster for that matter. With every ounce of my being, I felt like I had almost nothing to give. I say almost because I knew I could give my love and hugs; I knew I could cook a few meals and clean peoples belongings; and I knew that I could open up my home to families in need of a home  or perhaps to volunteers from outside of Houston who wanted to help. But the truth is that I felt helpless. I believed that whatever I could do wouldn't really make a difference.

One afternoon that all changed when I posted on Facebook that I wanted to purchase a few kosher scrolls to give to friends and congregants. The responses that followed made me realize that I couldn't just give to a few people, there were so many Jewish families who had their homes devastated by Hurricane Harvey.

Just the mention of wanting to collect a few kosher scrolls led to sparks of love flying. Friends and colleagues all over the United States wanted to help, they wanted to give scrolls to those in need. And with that first mention, people started to collect money for scrolls, purchase scrolls and then make mezuzah cases to house the precious parchments.

A couple of days after my first Facebook post asking about where to purchase kosher scrolls, the first two kosher scrolls arrived at my home, then another three, and then another two, slowly they have been coming in with promises of more. And then we had a national NFTY convention in which Jewish teens from all over our region under the artistic leadership of one of the many advisors, Michelle Renfrow, made fused glass mezuzah cases for our mezuzah recipients.

With that my mission for Door l'Door grew:

When Jewish homes are destroyed, Door l'Door will provide each family with a new mezuzah. Together, we can restore their spirits, nourish their souls, and renew their faith.

While my initial hope was to give mezuzot to those impacted by Hurricane Harvey in Houston, I soon realized that I wanted to give to those impacted by Hurricanes Ike and Maria and those impacted by earthquakes in Mexico and wild fires in Northern California. Jewish homes and congregations, a Jewish camp and Jewish owned businesses are needing to be rebuilt and I want to help all of them.

Tonight came the largest donation to date. Door l'Door received 100 kosher scrolls and cases from the Jewish Federation of Metropolitan Chicago. These can be distributed immediately to those that had their homes devastated by Hurricane Harvey. While I was given a head's up about this precious gift a little more than a week ago, I was stunned by my reaction. I am not sure if the Chicago Federation volunteers who are visiting Houston knew it, but I was literally shaking when I saw the box. And as soon as I got to my car after receiving the scrolls, I could barely contain the tears that fell.

And then came a new flood of tears once I got home and opened the box when I saw that each beautiful scroll would have a case to go with it.

Tonight, for the first time in years, I realized that I was going to finally make a difference. With the help and love of our Jewish community as well as others, over 120 families to date will receive a kosher mezuzah and case. May their spirits, souls, and faith be impacted for good.

I only need about 950 more scrolls and cases. I can do it with your help.

With love, light, and gratitude,
Chava

Door l'Door: Planting Seeds

Creating Door l'Door: Mezuzah Rescue and Replacement has become what I now refer to as an incredible detour. When I asked friends on Facebook where I could go to purchase kosher scrolls for those I knew who had lost their homes during Hurricane Harvey, I didn't know that what I was actually doing was birthing an idea that would ultimately explode in front of me. 

In three weeks, I have seen one planted seed transformed into more seeds and a whole lot of growth. And with each day, more and more people emerge with thoughts, ideas, concrete advice, and of course scrolls and mezuzah cases!!!! And through it all, my personal schedule has been packed with the beginning of my program year as the Director of Congregational Learning at Temple Sinai in Houston, the High Holy Days with more holidays on the way, a nasty case of bronchitis, and finally the emergence of Door l'Door into my world and hopefully yours too!

So here is a brief update of what has happened to date:

• September 12 - On Facebook, I asked for help on where to purchase kosher scrolls on a limited budget.

• September 14 - Created MezuzotProject@gmail.com as my 'formal' email address. (I couldn't figure out how to get Door l'Door to work and look good too.)

• September 15 - The Mezuzah Project became formally named Door l'Door through crowd-sourcing ideas with friends on Facebook.

• September 23 - I started this blog with the help of my close friend who simply purchased my domain name and then set up a blog. I love having friends who understand the nuts and bolts of creating a internet presence for this work.

• September 26 - The Jewish Herald Voice Published an article about this project:  http://jhvonline.com/door-ldoor-mezuzah-rescue-helps-after-harvey-p23290-96.htm

• And throughout this brief journey, the beautiful gifts that are making Door l'Door possible include:

• purchase of the domain name for future website

• new kosher mezuzah scrolls with more ordered and on the way

• used mezuzot with cases and scrolls

• money to purchase klafim, (kosher parchments or scrolls)

• help with PR 

• support from our local Jewish Family Service and local clergy and from so many in my community Temple Sinai

• writers and others that want to share this work are emerging daily.

• people that believe in this project and are offering their love, wisdom, and insights

I still need:

• share Door l'Door, this blog, or the article (link above) with everyone you know
• more kosher scrolls 

• financial support to purchase the kosher scrolls or

• actual kosher scrolls

• to collect photos of Harvey homes missing their mezuzot and Jewish homes that are devastated.

• to collect photos of mezuzot on door frames

• help creating a website

• friends willing to help me think out loud about how to move forward and to potentially join my nonprofit board. :)

Moving forward, I will be reaching out to every friend, congregational rabbi, and synagogue professional that I know - asking them to help with this project. In order for this holy work to touch those that need it, I will need help, lots of help.

Door l'Door has blossomed into a labor of love. I truly believe that with this work, we can make a difference and help people heal from the devastation of losing their homes or having their homes nearly destroyed. I want people to see the mezuzah on their doorpost and know that they have truly come home.

Consider helping Door l'Door by contributing to putting a mezuzah on the door of every Jewish home.

If you are interested in sending kosher mezuzah scrolls or mezuzahs, please send them to:


Chava Gal-Or
c/o Temple Sinai
13875 Brimhurst Drive
Houston, TX 77077

If you are called to participate in what is now called Door l’Door: Mezuzah Rescue and Replacement, please connect with me by mail at the above address or via email at MezuzotProject@gmail.com.

Donations towards this project can be made out to Chava Gal-Or with Mezuzot Project in the memo section of the check or via PayPal. Please note that Door l'Door is not yet a nonprofit; but I am in the process of creating 501(c)(3). 

l'Shalom 

Birthing Door l’Door: Mezuzah Rescue and Replacement

Since childhood, I have loved the tradition of reaching up to kiss the mezuzah; knowing that the six Hebrew words written on parchment and secured inside the box connected me with God and my people. “Shema Yisrael Adonai Eloheynu Adonai Echad” translated to mean, “Listen! People of Israel, Adonai is our God; Adonai is ONE.” This one sentence is often considered to be the heart and soul of the Jewish people – a reminder of how we walk in the world and walk with God or Godliness.

 

August 25^th marks the day that Houston received a very unwelcomed guest that unleashed destruction of our homes and damage to some of our synagogues. Hurricane Harvey's devastation remains overwhelming. While my own home was(mostly) spared, I wanted to do something concrete to help friends going through the challenges of losing their homes and belongings. I knew others would be there to help them fix their structures and replace their “stuff,” yet I wondered if that powerful touchstone of Jewish life, the mezuzah, would receive adequate attention. It is in this wondering that an idea emerged – to provide each family with a new mezuzah to restore their spirits, nourish their souls, and renew their faith.

As a Jewish Educator, when I want support with a task, I network with my friends and colleagues via Facebook including the thousands of Jewish educators connected in a group called JEDLAB. Within an hour, the response for the Mezuzah Project was joyfully and overwhelming! Friends (Jewish and non-Jewish) requested my address so they could send me the kosher scrolls to go into the mezuzah.  Colleagues and friends alike are pursuing avenues and resources to help me provide a mezuzah with a kosher scroll inside for every Jewish home that was devastated in Houston. My hope is that as I continue to reach out to local congregations, Jewish Family Service, the Jewish Federation of Greater Houston, and by word of mouth, that together, we will find those who are in the process of rebuilding their homes and lives in Houston.

Wouldn’t it be AMAZING to reach out to other Jewish families and communities beyond Houston that are reeling from the effects of nature’s fury?

If you are interested in sending kosher mezuzah scrolls or mezuzahs, please send them to:

Chava Gal-Or
c/o Temple Sinai
13875 Brimhurst Drive
Houston, Texas  77077

If you are called to participate in what is now called Door l’Door: Mezuzah Rescue and Replacement, please connect with me by mail at the above address or via email at MezuzotProject@gmail.com.

Donations towards this project can be made out to Chava Gal-Or with Mezuzot Project in the memo section of the check or via PayPal. Please note that Door l'Door is not yet a nonprofit; but I am in the process of creating 501(c)(3).