Teens Spread Community Kindness

Jewish teens from throughout Orange County, NY spent a week of summer dedicated to community service.

“The greatest gift we can give our teens is giving,” says Chana Burston, who co-directs Chabad of Orange County with her husband, Rabbi Pesach. “Empowering teenagers that they can make a difference is an essential part of their growth and future success,” adds Rabbi Pesach. The teens dedicated the week to the memory of their friend Adi Wolff, of Monroe, who was a member of the CTeen Club.

The CTeen Cares program, a division of Chabad’s Teen group “CTeen,” began their week visiting residents at Sapphire Nursing & Rehab in Goshen. Samuel Koyfman of Chester and Duvy Burston of Monroe played piano, while the rest of the group sang and even danced with residents. A creative game of “human hang man” had both residents and teens laughing and enjoying!

CTeen Cares participants spearheaded two fundraisers. The “Charity Car Wash,” held at the Chabad Center in Chester, raised funds for pediatric cancer patients. Teens used the proceeds to shop for gifts and created beautiful care packages for the cancer patients.

CTeen’s “Charity Basketball Game,” hosted by Dr. Seth Pulver in Highland Mills, successfully brought in donations for Chabad of Orange County’s Chabad Cares program which provides comfort and assistance to community members in times of need. The basketball game was coached by volunteers Russell Cohen and Philip Reich of Highland Mills.

Youth leader Leia Young led the CTeen group in a paint workshop in which they created beautiful art for patients at Orange Regional Medical Center in Middletown. The art was distributed by Chabad’s Gabbai, Ira Kanis of Monroe, who visits patients weekly on behalf of Chabad Cares.

A big highlight was making a huge pot of chicken soup and matza balls which the teens divided and labeled with personal messages. “You are making Jewish Penicillin!” youth leaders Leia Young and Chaya Flamer told the teens. The soup will be brought to community members who are recovering from an injury or illness. Sherri Eccelston of Johnson received her soup and wrote on Facebook, “my soup and homemade Challah from CTeen Cares was delicious and made me feel great!”

Local businessman Joseph Lakein of Monroe, who also is a veteran of the Israel Defense Force, gave the teens a mini military boot-camp experience.

“This week has been such an amazing experience,” says CTeen leader, Shaina Steir of Monroe. “It felt so good and right to do mitzvot (good deeds) in Adi’s honor – we know that is what he would have wanted.”

CTeen is a teen club open for Orange County Jewish teens in high school. For more information, contact Rabbi Pesach and Chana Burston at 845-782-2770, www.ChabadOrange.com.