A three-day holiday weekend means sleeping in and hangin' out - but not for the three dozen students and faculty of Yavneh Academy and the Dallas Chapter of the National Council of Synagogue Youth who made their way, early Sunday morning, to Moore, Oklahoma.

The Dallas-area volunteers spent the day cleaning amidst the rubble, delivering food and drink to residents, and searching for lost treasures.  Their presence, was not understated.

"The way these kids and their advisers came into town and rolled up their sleeves and got right to work - it was a true Kiddush Hashem (sanctification of the Name)," said Rabbi Ovadia Goldman, Director of the Chabad Community Center For Jewish Life and Learning in Oklahoma City.  "They were one of the first youth groups to come out and help, even before those who live much closer to us and our community has truly been touched."

Yavneh representatives included  

Niv Avneri '14, Sarah Barnett '14, Haley Chestler '15, Hadas Cohen '15,  

Jordan Cope '14, Hannah Delagi '14, Meir Epstein '15, Michelle Friedstadt '14,  

Ari Geller '15, Ori Guttman '15, Austin Jacoby '15, Elvira Levi '15, Rabbi Michel Lomner, Logan Luskey '14, Risa Mond '16, Ethan Pearson '15, Yosef Presburger '13, Naomi Schrager, Noah Shore '15, Rabbi Meir Tannenbaum, Dania Tanur '14,  

Noah Weiss '15, Erin Wernick '15, and Sammy Weyser '16.

Yavneh students, and NCSY members, Valerie Lopez '14, Stephanie Medina '13,  Clara Wohlstadter '15, were excited to bridge their Jewish school and social friends to share in the day's deeds.  YavnehFamily members and friends, including Dr. Eric Jacoby, Sofia Joison, Jocelyn Lopez, Leslie Lopez, Carolyn San Soucie, Tamar Schrager, Tsipporah Schrager, Liat Sterenfeld and Dr. Eduardo Tanur too shared in the day's mitzvah making.  The Yavneh students joined NCSYers Sarah Ehrenpreis, Andrew Fowler, Cayli Fowler, Rabbi Yaakov Rosenblatt, Ariel Refua, Erin Van Crevald, and Lexi Van Creveld.

"Imo anochie batzara - we're with you in your pain, and we share in your grief. There is massive need and a massive opportunity for us to be a part of," said Rabbi Michel Lomner, who is on faculty at Yavneh, and who also works with Rabbi Israel LaShak, Dallas' NCSY Regional Director, who coordinated the project with Rabbi Goldman.  "It was so powerful and inspiring to all of us who participated, and helping in this kind of crisis is what we stand for as Jews."

  "This was a very meaningful trip," said Rabbi Meir Tannenbaum, Yavneh Associate Principal/Judaic Curriculum, noting the possibility of continuing the relationship with those in Oklahoma, the concept of a 2013/14 Shabbaton on the minds of many..  "This was a great opportunity for our kids who are hands-on and a wonderful first-hand experience sometimes we don't get to see the tangible results of our efforts. Here we physically placed food into their hands, we interacted with those that lost so much, and we sifted through the rubble, grateful to return any salvageable items."

The group found homes that had sustained little damage, those with quite a bit, and others - with vehicles wrapped around what might have been a kitchen, and love letters found amidst the brush.  From early morning until mid-afternoon, they separated trash from wood, bricks, and personal items.

"This area, with not at all a large Jewish population, is incredibly supporting of Eretz Yisroel; financially, emotionally, and many of here travel there often,"said Rabbi Goldman, who with his wife Nechama and their five children, have been based in Oklahoma City since 1998.  The couple hosted the volunteers for a bbq dinner before the group returned to Dallas.   "For our residents to see that immediate response came from Jewish students, in their dire time of need, made a great impact, and we welcome anyone who wants to continue to help."

"The reality of what we saw, compared to what appears on  television, is incredible.  You can't even imagine what it is for these people to have lost everything," said Yosef Presburger '13, who first heard of the volunteering opportunity late Saturday night, but was at prayers at Yavneh with his friends by 6:30am on Sunday,  and on the road an hour later.  "We found 'little' things like a toothbrush but it was someone's toothbrush, from their home that likely doesn't exist. I didn't even have to think about going - if I didn't go, it would be like I never learned anything at Yavneh or in my life."

Click here to read more about the NCSY/Yavneh team of volunteers.

Click here to make a donation through the Chabad Community Center/OKC

Hadas Cohen '15 and Rachel Rudberg '13 are a couple of cuts above the rest!  While many are prepping for summer with a shorter "do" this season, these young ladies made Locks for Love the beneficiary of their fashionable mitzvah forey.   

For Hadas, who cut off 11 inches, this was the first time she's contributed, and for Rachel - whose cut released her of almost a foot inches of curls, has made the hairdo donation on four occasions.   "I've always thought  it an important gift to give one's hair and mine was long enough," said Hadas.  "Hair grows and I'm happy to be able to share it with someone who needs it."  

Kol Hakavod to Ronit Dickter '16 and YavnehMom Sandra, who have started a local chapter of Polished Girlz, a group of young women dedicated to volunteering and connecting with young ladies who are hospitalized or living with chronic illness.

"I have always loved colorful nail polishes and I aspire to be a pediatric nurse practitioner," said Ronit, who first learned of the organization on the Ellen Degeneres Show.  " I knew this was a great way to combine my two passions and the smiles on the girls faces are priceless!"

Joining Ronit and her Mom in the chapter's first outing at the Ronald McDonald House in Dallas, were Yavneh Freshmen, Danielle Berman, Carolyn Smith, and Leetal Winick.