Home > Life Cycle > B’nei Mitzvah > Mitzvah Project Ideas
When choosing a Mitzvah Project, we recommend that you look for something which you are passionate about. By doing so, your project will feel more enjoyable, rewarding, and successful. Brainstorming as a family to find what those passions are will often lead to a meaningful choice for a B’nei Mitzvah project. It also allows your family to embark upon the project together, adding more depth to the entire B’nei Mitzvah process. Here are some ideas of projects including many done previously by Washington Hebrew Congregation (WHC) families:
Friendship Place: Organize a collection of toiletry kits, non-perishable snack bags, trail mix, or other items. Call 202-364-1419 for more information.
Martha’s Table: Make and donate nut-free trail mix, sandwiches, and muffins. Call 202-328-6608 for more information.
Montgomery County Coalition for the Homeless: Donate trail mix, sandwiches, muffins, casseroles, toiletries, cleaning items, and household goods. Call 240-550-8110 for more information.
Nourish Now or Washington Area Food Bank: Organize a drive for a food bank in our area. Call Nourish Now at 301-330-0222 or Capital Area Food Bank at 202-644-9800, ext. 5 for more information.
So Others Might Eat (SOME): Assemble and donate hygiene kits, toiletries, food, clothing, and household goods. Call 202-797-8806 for more information.
Comfort Cases: Volunteer to help assemble Comfort Cases for children entering the emergency foster care system. You can also make “No Sew” blankets available at Temple to go in the Comfort Cases. Call 301-641-8698 for more information.
Children’s National Hospital or Hope for Henry: Collect and deliver new toys to children living with long-term illnesses. Contact Children’s National Hospital at 202-476-2062 or Hope for Henry at 202-813-3385.
Donate Toys to the Brooks Shelter: Collect toys for unhoused children in our community at The Brooks, a family housing facility overseen by Friendship Place. You can have the toys delivered to the shelter or arrange to deliver them in person. Call 202-364-1419 for more information.
DC Youth Orchestra Program: Collect new or gently used high-quality musical instruments for children using the organization’s loan library. Call 202-795-8550 for more information.
Leveling the Playing Field: Collect and donate gently used sports equipment for children in need. Call 202-556-4650 for more information.
Special Olympics: Volunteers are the backbone of the Special Olympics movement. Start the process of becoming a Special Olympics volunteer by clicking here to get in touch with the Special Olympics office nearest you.
Work with Seniors at Charles E. Smith Life Communities: Volunteer to spend time with residents of a local retirement home. Play Bingo or card games, or organize a special performance. Call 301-770-8333 for more information.
Lucky Dog Animal Rescue Youth Program: Volunteer to donate time, money, or needed items to an animal hospital or shelter. There may be an opportunity to work with the puppies and dogs up for adoption.
Contact Lauren Lieberman at llieberman@whctemple for more information about volunteering with WHC.
Sunday Stuffing: Collect Thanksgiving essentials (a list of food items will be provided) that will be donated to Abram Simon Elementary School families, N Street Village, National Capital Area YWCA, and Friendship Place. Other projects will be available at Temple.
Martin Luther King Jr. Day of Service: Make your day off from work and school a “day on” for tikkun olam by joining WHC and friends from churches around the city as we do good together.
Mitzvah Day: Volunteer on a project at WHC’s Mitzvah Day held at Temple and JBSC. Collect and donate items that will be used for projects on Mitzvah Day.
WHC Hunger Project: work on a food packing event at Temple or JBSC. The food is delivered to local shelters and feeds hundreds of local adults and children in the Metro-DC area. Click the link above for upcoming dates.
Abram Simon Elementary School: Simon Elementary, located in Anacostia, is named after WHC’s second senior rabbi, Abram Simon. We work in partnership with Simon throughout the year to cater celebrations for the teachers and students. Contact Lauren Lieberman for more information at llieberman@whctemple.org.
Abram Simon Elementary School: Send a Student to Summer Camp: For the past two years, WHC has sent 10 students from Abram Simon Elementary School to camp at Horizons Greater DC. Students spend half the day in academics and the other half learning to swim, taking field trips, and enjoying recess. All campers receive free or reduced-priced breakfast, lunch, and snacks. Contact Lauren Lieberman for more information at llieberman@whctemple.org.
Anacostia Watershed Society: Get involved in protecting and restoring the Anacostia River and its watershed. Call 301-699-6204 for more information.
Birthday Cakes for Free Montgomery County Chapter: Bake cakes and cupcakes for Boys & Girls Clubs, Homeless Shelters, and Senior Centers. Submit this contact form for more information.
Casey Trees: Restore, enhance, and protect the tree canopy of the nation’s capital. Call 202-833-4010 for more information.
Charlie’s Place: Provides food, clothing, toiletries, transportation, health care, and other essentials to DC’s unhoused population. Call 202-929-0100 for more information.
DC Scores: Donate soccer equipment. Volunteers are also needed to referee kids’ gamedays and provide pro-bono photoshoots. Call 1-888-728-3229 for more information.
Edlavitch DC JCC Social Responsibility Center: Hands-on volunteer opportunities and educational opportunities about systemic inequality in our communities. Call 202-518-9400 for more information.
Jewish Social Service Agency: JSSA’s Aging In Place services, Holocaust Survivor Program, and Hospice program partner with hundreds of volunteers to improve individuals’ lives in Montgomery County MD, and DC. There are many opportunities to deliver meals and make connections. Call 202-235-5793 for more information.
Little Falls Watershed Alliance: The LFWA is committed to improving our local environment with a special focus on cleaning the creeks that flow into the Potomac River and Chesapeake Bay. Click here to find out more about volunteer opportunities.
Makom: Enjoy Bingo games on the first Tuesday of every month to support and empower people with intellectual and developmental disabilities. Call 240-283-6000 for more information (formerly Jewish Foundation for Group Homes).
Real Food for Kids – Montgomery: Help advocate for healthier food in Montgomery County Public Schools. Call 301-202-4812 for more information.
Tryan It: Volunteer at an annual triathlon for kids ages 6-14 which supports families dealing with childhood cancer. Contact info@justtryanit.org for more information.
Walk to End Genocide: Organize a group for this annual walk in D.C. or donate to their Change for Change program. The Walk to End Genocide mobilizes human rights activists, youth, and community leaders of all ages and faiths.
Habitat for Humanity Youth United: Raise money to help build homes for people in need. For more information email volunteer@habitatdcnova.org.
KaBoom!: Volunteer or raise money to build playgrounds in underserved communities. Call 202-659-0215 for more information.
K.E.E.N. (Kids Enjoy Exercise Now): Volunteer to play and provide recreational opportunities for children with developmental and physical disabilities (13 & older w/parent). Call (301) 770-3200 for more information.
Locks of Love: Donate hair to provide hairpieces to children with long-term medical hair loss. For more information call 561-833-7332.
My Chemo Bag Inc.: Create bags of necessary items for local patients who are starting chemotherapy. Click here for more information.
Tzedek B’nai Mitzvah Fellowship: Through this fellowship, teens will engage in hands-on volunteering at sites around the DC area, learn about systems of inequality and avenues for advocacy, and build friendships with their cohort. After 5 Sunday sessions, your teen will walk away with a greater understanding of equity issues in our community, Jewish teachings around service and social justice, and how they can use their own personal strengths and passions to engage in change-making beyond their bar/bat mitzvahs. Contact Sonya Weisburd at 202-777-3269, sonyaw@edcjcc.org for more information.
Back on My Feet: This running program helps those experiencing homelessness change the way they see themselves so they can make real changes in their lives that result in employment and independent living.
Race for Hope DC: Join this family-friendly event to support the needs of brain tumor patients and their families. Click here to find out how you can help.
Susan G. Komen Race for the Cure: Help raise funds to end breast cancer forever.
Walk to End Genocide: The walk mobilizes human rights activists, youth, and community leaders of all ages and faiths. Walkers share the vision of a world that does Not Stand Idly By while genocides and mass atrocities continue.
Ethan H. Freed Learning Center in Ramle, Israel: Raise money to support learning opportunities for disadvantaged youth in Israel. Visit and share high-tech English and Hebrew learning experiences. Click here for more information.
The Healing Space: This sanctuary provides support and healing for soldiers, police, healthcare workers, and other individuals suffering from PTSD and war-related trauma following the October 7th tragedy and subsequent war in Israel. This innovative center offers a unique blend of conventional and alternative treatments in a serene and tranquil outdoor environment, providing a safe space for individuals to embark on their journey to recovery. Click here to find out how you can help.
Israel Guide Dog: This program trains dogs for the visually impaired in Israel. The Israel Guide Dog Center offers students an opportunity to sponsor puppies for their Mitzvah Project. Call 215-343-9100 for more information.
The Israel Religious Action Center (IRAC): Join our Action Hero Club, a monthly giving program that makes your valuable support go even further.
Kids 4 Peace: This global movement of Jewish, Christian, and Muslim youth is dedicated to ending conflict and inspiring hope in divided societies around the world. Call 202-544-3000 for more information.
Magen David Adom: Raise money for an ambulance or rescue vehicle in Israel. Your support ensures MDA can save thousands of lives each year, from a sick child to a victim of a rocket attack. Call 866.632.2763 for more information.
Matnat Chaim is an organization in Israel that is dedicated to encouraging individuals found suitable for making a life-saving kidney donation. Click here for more information.
Smiles for the kids: Help bring happiness and comfort to families impacted by hardship due to illness, poverty, stress, family situations, or ongoing conflicts.
Underwrite events for those in need and ask about volunteer opportunities for individuals, families and organizations both in Israel and abroad. Click here for more information.
Susan’s House in Israel: This home provides a last chance for wayward youth in Jerusalem. Sponsor a teen to learn a craft that will allow them to provide for themselves. Click here for more information.
United Hatzalah: This network of more than 6,200 volunteer medics helps save thousands of lives each year across Israel by providing medical treatment in an average response time of 3 minutes or less. Their humanitarian services are free, universal, and available 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Call 646-833-7108 or email office@israelrescue.org for more information.
American Jewish World Service – AJWS is working to realize human rights and end poverty in the developing world. Learn more about the many ways you can give to American Jewish World Service to help build a better world. Call 212-792-2900 for more information.
American Red Cross: Click the link below to find out about all the opportunities that the Red Cross has to offer youth. YouthInvolvement@redcross.org.
Jewish World Watch fights genocide around the world. There are opportunities in education, leadership, and fundraising. Call 818-501-1836 for more information.
Jewish Historical Institute: Spread knowledge about the heritage of the thousand years of Jewish presence on the Polish lands. The mission of the Jewish Historical Institute is to care for the Jewish legacy preserved in the archives of our Institute. Their collections consist of seven million pages of varied documents. The most significant part of the collections is the Underground Archive of the Warsaw Ghetto, also known as the Ringelblum Archive. To get more information e-mail secretary@jhi.pl.
Remember a Child Program This program memorializes children murdered in the Holocaust by linking current generations with Jewish children who tragically lost their lives in the Shoah. E-mail GenerationAfterDC@gmail.com for more information.
Remember Us: The Holocaust B’nai Mitzvah Project: This project offers an invitation to children preparing for bar/bat mitzvah to connect with the memory of children lost in the Holocaust before they could be called to the Torah. Call 424-272-8656 for more information.
Steppingstones (STOLPERSTEINE): This organization in Germany creates a small, cobblestone sized memorial for a single victim of Nazism. Raise money to create a memorial. For more information, contact Katja and Gunter Demnig at info@stolpersteine.eu.
Write letters to Israeli or American Soldiers or support organizations that help wounded soldiers and their families
Wounded Warrior Project: By donating, fundraising, or spreading the word, you can help warriors get back on track and become a positive force in their communities. Call 877-832-6997 for more information.
The Yellow Ribbon Fund: Provides critical support to post-9/11 wounded, ill, and injured service members, extending its services to their families and caregivers. Call 240-223-1180 for more information.
Other ideas can be found in The Mitzvah Project Book by Liz Suneby and WHC member Diane Heiman
