Solu’s Ahavat Chinam Campaign
Solu’s inaugural Ahavat Chinam summer campaign took place over the three weeks between the 17th Tammuz and the 9th of Av, drawing on the seasonal theme of sinat chinam, senseless hatred, and emphasizing its opposite, ahavat chinam, boundless love. These three weeks yielded many positive and successful programs, as well as the strengthening of key relationships, both within the Orthodox community and building bridges to diverse communities in the greater Chicagoland area.
Over 300 children and adults engaged in meaningful service work and bridge building — with many returning for subsequent programs. Participants came from Skokie, Rogers Park and Lincolnwood. The Solu Facebook group has now grown to 115 members (searchable as “Solu: Make an Impact!).
Our campaign, summarized and by the numbers:
Opening shiur: Emma Katz, the director of NILI, gave a kick off, opening shiur on the topic of Ahavat HaGer / loving of the stranger.
OU Relief Mission: Solu was selected to be a part of the pilot initiative to launch the OU relief mission efforts for Orthodox families. Solu took 15 people for an overnight trip to Bettendorf, Iowa, to volunteer at the Tannenbaum Family Farm and in town. Participants prepared and served 35 meals at a local soup kitchen, performed farm chores and assisted in building a new goat enclosure, and cleared away debris from an old Jewish cemetery.
Moshava Ba’Ir: Solu facilitated an entire day of programming for Moshava Ba’Ir day camp (250 kids, ages 5–11). Campers assembled 200 backpacks for RefugeeOne’s back to school drive, packed 130 lunches for Evanston’s Connections 4 Homeless, and wrote letters of gratitude to first responders in the Skokie Fire Department. Several adults from the community also aided in finishing the backpack assembly afterwards.
Bright Star Community Outreach: Solu coordinated several volunteer initiatives as part of the overall project of constructing the new Bright Star Family Literacy Center on their Bronzeville campus. In Skokie, volunteers catalogued 300+ donated children’s books and constructed furniture. In Bronzeville, over two different days (including Tisha B’Av), volunteers painted walls and installed ceiling tiles, and will continue to work on the space for the coming weeks in anticipation of the school year.
Rohingya Cultural Center: Solu and the RCC co-facilitated a dinner for 12 Jewish and 13 Rohingya Muslim individuals, located at the RCC in Rogers Park. Jewish participants took a tour of the center and learned about Rohingya history from Nasir Zakaria, the executive director. Over dinner, participants shared conversation and told stories of life in Chicago, and afterwards created a painted rock garden with positive messages to decorate the RCC. Representatives from the Jewish Neighborhood Development Council of Rogers Park also attended this event.
Thank you to all who contributed, volunteered, organized, and recruited for these programs!
[Link for Pastor Chris Harris’s video tour of the new Literacy Center space: https://www.facebook.com/100000813502439/videos/994609874620144/]
