Community Service

Based on the concept of Tikum Olam, "repairing our world," students participate in acts of tzedakah and gemilut hasadim (social action). When one goes beyond the obligation of mitzvah, we not only help others, but we also benefit from the good feelings we get. Community service and the practice of mitzvot are woven into every curriculum, starting with preschool.

Beck lower school students do not have community service requirements, but are encouraged either individually or as a class to fulfill the mitzvah of Tikum Olam.

Middle school students are required to perform a minimum of 10 hours of community service each year. Additional hours are recognized at the Middle School Awards Assembly. Students choose their own service projects, and in the past, have collected food, books, toys, bicycles, cell phones, diapers, blankets, and clothes for those in need.

A B'nai Mitzvah Program allows Levine Academy students entering the Bar/Bat Mitzvah years to contribute voluntarily to a special fund established by their class. Instead of Levine students giving gifts to each other in honor of their Bar or Bat Mitzvahs, they join forces in sharing with those less fortunate by giving to a philanthropic fund. This has become a tradition at Levine Academy, inviting students to participate personally in Tikkun Olam, realizing the Jewish responsibility and obligation of tzedakah, bonding with each other, and learning about the real-life process of planning and allocation.

Since the B'nai Mitzvah Program was established in 2000, each sixth grade class has established its own fund, naming it, running it, and deciding on allocations. When the students reach eighth grade, they determine which agencies will receive funds after an allocation request process takes place. Monies are distributed to local, national, and international organizations.