Thursday, April 9, 2015
Fireman Max bar mitzvah crowdsourcing! Wanted: good deed ideas
The one thing I know so far about Max's bar mitzvah, besides the temple we're having it in and that it will be in April 2016, is that it'll have a fire truck theme. So, wheeee! That'll be fun to do.
For the uninitiated, at age 13 a Jewish boy becomes obligated to observe the commandments; a bar mitzvah is the coming-of-age ceremony that marks the occasion. They often include a religious service, followed by a party. I'll be putting together a ceremony, with Max's input, so that it will be meaningful to him. We'll use his iPad. There will blessings ready by family and friends. And songs. And maybe a fireman jumping out of a cake! OK, not that.
One modern-day tradition is having a bar mitzvah boy (or bat mitzvah girl) complete a "mitzvah project" during the year. In common usage, the word means a good deed and typically kids commit to some sort of social action project. Teens I know have done things like regularly visiting a senior center, collecting clothing for orphanages in other countries and sponsoring food drives. Oftentimes, kids with special needs are on the receiving end of these projects.
My friend Marjorie Ingall wrote a great article for Tablet that noted it's key for mitzvah projects to have real meaning; asking for donations just doesn't cut it. I couldn't agree more, and I really want to help Max come up with something that speaks to him. But first, I need some starter ideas to offer up.
Our local fire station collects can; the money they get from selling them benefits burn victims. Max could join in on that, but I'm also thinking it would be cool for him to come up with something that he could own.
So…thoughts? All ideas will be vetted by Fireman Max!
Why not have Max go to Fire Stations and ask if there is anything that those they serve need. Perhaps they could come up with a suggestion for items that a family affected by fire need in the immediate aftermath. Max could then ask for donations of those items and help put together kits for those families.
ReplyDeleteAs for the fire truck theme that sounds absolutely awesome. One fun thing might be to get a large fire hat and have guests sign it for Max ( silver sharpies show up well on almost any material). You can display the hat in his room ( if you can get it off his head :). You could also have the tables named after different fire stations( including those that Max has visited around the country ). Guests could sit "in" say "Ladder Company # --" and how cute would it be if the table cards were firefighter badges? Ahhh I love a themed party!
Annie
I don't know how Max feels about animals, but some groups fundraise here to buy dog and cat oxygen masks for the fire department, so they can save the pets they rescue.
ReplyDeleteLeslie that is a good idea! I'd forgotten that dog and cat oxygen masks actually exist.
DeleteI would definitely use this opportunity to have him talk to his favorite firemen and have then explain to him things he could do to help. I'm sure when they colaborate they could figure out something that max will get excited about! Their suggestions and decision will probably blow our minds!
ReplyDeleteHow about washing fire trucks or collecting (maybe delivering) new items for people whose houses burned down? Knowing Max's compassionate nature, I think he would enjoy serving.
ReplyDeleteHe could brainstorm some ideas (things that families may need if there is a fire) and use the iPad to list these ideas & create a "poll", then be able to independently take a poll of the firefighters to decide what to collect or do? There could be a "write in" for other ideas that the firefighters have, too.
ReplyDeleteI love this theme for a mitzvah project! When I was preparing for my Bat Mitzvah, I collected recent magazines and books for children to donate to the waiting rooms at the then newly built Children's Hospital in Hartford (I'm from that area originally).
Can't wait to hear more about Bar Mitzvah plans!
If Max wanted to go outside the firefighter theme, he could do something benefiting the Early Intervention place in your county seeing he received therapy from there, making it more personal. Really Max should have a big say in this. Have you asked him what his ideas are?
ReplyDeleteDear Fireman Max,
ReplyDeleteWhat about helping with, or piloting a scheme that assists with providing smoke alarms and installation to low-income (or any income, really!) houses? (There may already be something out there like that already, but the recent tragic death of those children made me think that awareness needs to be boosted.) Good luck with your plans, whatever you may choose!
Raise funds by washing cars and fire trucks and use that money to buy a kid with special needs an iPad or speech device. He could also teach them how to use it and they could be pen pals. I mean iPad pals :-)
ReplyDeleteDear Fireman Max, How happy to read that your bar mitzvah will be next year. Like all good firemen and firewomen, you are a helper person. It will be nice for you to help people before a fire happen with smoke detectors. And after the fire with basic items such as notebook with a pen in a simple waterproof bag so that people have a place write down notes and information, bottled water for those working a the site of the fire, blankets and stuffed animals for children, and other small items.
ReplyDeleteWill wait to see what you choose to do. Thanks.
what about collecting toys for the firefighters to give to kids who lose theirs through fires?
ReplyDeleteFirefighters, policemen and soldiers have charity funds that help when hard times hit them, say if a firefighter dies in a fire and leave a wife and kids behind, helping with that is always rewarding,and considering his interests.
ReplyDeleteTalk to your local fire cheif, he will know more,
A few times in the blog there have been instances where Max is helping younger kids.
ReplyDeleteWhat about a project at school where Max takes a firefighter topic- smoke alarms- evacuation plans etc. and presents them with his ipad and pictures- and maybe a demo of a smoke alarm going off? Say a short presentation on the topic of choice once a month for 8? months- each micro topic could have a take-away-a pictogram and a noise maker or whistle-(don't be scared of smoke alarm noise). Max is an expert here- and repetition of safety stuff is done once a quarter where I work-so even if the school has done it all before-they haven't done it quite like this-maybe
I don't remember if Max likes animals, but what about volunteering at an animal shelter and helping to socialize/pet the animals. It would be neat for Max to experience something or than firefighting if he is ready for it. However if he isn't I love all of the firefighting ideas that have been suggested.
ReplyDeleteDidn't Max have some choices for a school activity - ages back - where he had to choose activities he wanted to be involved in that were like volunteer activities? That might give some inspiration?
ReplyDeleteAsk Sabrina for suggestions. Didn't she recently teach him to do something on his iPad that surprised you? She may have a kid-to-kid sixth sense (sib sense?) of things he can do that you might not even think of.
ReplyDelete--Phyl
I'm doing a blog series on random acts of kindness. you might find something there at http://www.graspingforjoy.com
ReplyDeleteWhat about paying visits to burn victims in hospitals? Max has tons of experience with hospitals so he can help kids not be scared. Or what if he had a BBQ to raise money for the fire department? (You know, burn stuff for the fire dept folks... come on, it's a great idea!) Or maybe organized a playdate/playtime experience for other people who love all things fire department? You could even do it at your local station! Whatever you decide, I hope you have a great time. Good luck, Fireman Max!
ReplyDeleteI don't have ideas, though I like the idea of actually asking firefighters for their suggestions. (And personally I'm drawn to the idea of doing something surrounding education about the need for smoke and carbon monoxide detectors.) Thanks for the shout-out!
ReplyDeleteFiremen are famous for their firehouse cooking, in some places they run food drives for the families who lose their homes to fire. Maybe Max could find a way to collect and deliver food and blankets.
ReplyDeleteRadom acts of kindness for fire fighter families, make cp awareness kits for fire departments Max can help make, emergency kits, stuffed animals for them to give out on calls
ReplyDelete