Initiative Turns Birthdays Into Communal Growth

An exciting new initiative inspired by the Rebbe’s vision for birthday celebrations is happening worldwide. Throughout the past year, nearly 100 Shluchim have been using their birthdays as a catalyst for spiritual growth in their communities. Spearheaded by OneMitzvah at Merkos 302, this innovative Birthday Initiative aims to make a lasting impact on the world by harnessing the potential of personal milestones.

At the core of this initiative is the “Birthday Mitzvah Campaign,” developed by OneMitzvah at Merkos 302—an online platform dedicated to fostering community-centric Mitzvah initiatives. This campaign empowers individuals to turn their birthdays into opportunities for acts of kindness, charity, and positive impact.

OneMitzvah’s Birthday Program offers a comprehensive toolkit designed to help individuals launch their personal mitzvah campaigns with ease. It provides resources, guidance, and creative ideas to help Shluchim and community members channel the energy of their birthdays toward meaningful actions.

Rabbi Mendel Raskin, Head Shliach in Cote Luc, Quebec, experienced firsthand the transformative power of the OneMitzvah Birthday Initiative during his 60th birthday celebration. “The community came together in a remarkable way, and it was all centered around Mitzvahs,” said Rabbi Shlomie Naparstek, Rabbi Rakin’s son-in-law, reflecting on the three-day Mitzvah raising project. “There was someone who had always refused to put on Tefillin regularly, but because it was a personal gift, he took on to lay Tefillin for an entire year.”

The initiative was inspired by the Rebbe’s unprecedented “Mivtzah Yom Huledes – Birthday campaign,” launched in 5748 (1988), which placed the birthday at the forefront of one’s personal service of Hashem and impact on others. “The Rebbe taught us that birthdays are not only a day of personal growth but to reflect on how much we have impacted our surroundings,” says Rabbi Moshe Kotlarsky, Vice-Chairman of Merkos L’inyonei Chinuch and Chairman of OneMitzvah. “Today, more than ever, do we see this belief in the infinite power of the individual come to life.”

Check out onemitzvah.org to launch your own Birthday Mitzvah Campaign. Also, check out campaign templates for al lsignificant lifecycle events like birthdays, yartzeits, bar/bas mitzvahs, anniversaries, and more.