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Rodef Sholom congregant Allison Sack has called Marin County home since childhood, and is currently raising her family in San Rafael.  For this year's Mitzvah Day, Allison, her husband Andrew, and their two children (ages 6 and 4) volunteered to help in the Mill Valley bike path beautification project. They picked up weeds, cleared out trash, and cleaned up an area of Marin that is very important to the family. Read on to learn how the Mitzvah Day experience has influenced her daily life. 

• What is your relationship to Rodef Sholom? My husband, Andrew, grew up going to Rodef Sholom, and my family and I are celebrating two years at the Congregation. We really appreciate the warm and welcoming community we have found there.

• Tell us about your mitzvot. We cleaned up the Mill Valley bike path, which we have spent a lot of time on. It was gratifying for the kids to participate in hands-on work and service. The kids could choose between walking the path and picking up trash, or discarding an invasive weed that suffocates the pickle weed, which is essential for the local birds to eat to survive.  The Marin County Parks department provided trash grabbers, but my son actually brought his own which he was really excited about!

• What have you learned through participating in this mitzvah? It was interesting to learn about the local wetlands that we drive by weekly. I was completely unaware of the invasive species that exist there, and our kids learned about what an invasive species is and the harm it can do to the ecosystem. We also learned how important it is for our kids to do hands-on mitzvot with their community. They were really proud of themselves and it felt really rewarding to work towards something as a community.

• How can other people get involved? The temple does a really good job of sharing ways to support the community. There is always something you can do, no deed is too small. 

• How does this project carry into your everyday life? Mitzvah Day was a great opportunity to do work together with our community, but we also recognize that when we can't fit in the larger projects in our daily life, the small mitzvot matter too. Our son learned that we can simply pick up trash in our own neighborhood and make a difference. It is all about turning small, good deeds into habits and participating in Mitzvah day helped show our kids that.

(interview conducted by Rose Hornstein)