Aug 4, 2016
NYLC Builds Bikes for Local Children
Last week, nearly 200 members of the National Young Leadership Cabinet of The Jewish Federations of North America (JFNA) joined together in Aventura for their annual retreat. In what turned out to be a complete surprise during a general session meeting, the group partnered with our Federation’s Jewish Volunteer Center (JVC) to assemble 25 brand new bicycles. The bicycles were given to participants in Miami Children’s Initiative (MCI), an organization focused on transforming Liberty City by investing in the neighborhood’s children.
Adam Lustig, Federation Board member and Chair of the Attorneys’ Division, said the project was one of the highlights of the Cabinet Retreat. “It was very rewarding to build a bike for a child in need. The experience was taken to another level when we actually got to present the bike to this beautiful little girl.”
It was an emotional time for both the participants and the children, neither of whom had any idea what to expect. From kids aged four and five all the way to 18, smiles lit up the room as they marched out to discover their new bikes — adorned with large welcome signs — waiting for them.
Incoming Campaign Chair of The Network, Alexandra Lehson was one of 11 local Cabinet members at the event, and appreciated the opportunity to give back on a one-to-one level with local children. “I will never forget the look on the little boy’s face who received our bike,” she said. “He just lit up and started jumping up and down and dancing around. It was incredibly special for all of us.”
The event also served as an inspirational team-building and service activity for Cabinet members. Scott Wagner, Federation Board Member and Miami Beach Campaign Chair, adds, “It illustrated that community service is more than simply helping other Jewish people. Certainly, the event had a very personal impact on us and the children receiving those bikes. But it also served as a window into one of our core Jewish values, that of tikkun olam, or repairing the world. Not only do we unite to serve and support our fellow Jews, but also for the community at large.”
