DOING A MITZVAH JEWISH CONGREGATIONS TACKLE COMMUNITY PROJECTS.

Byline: Holly Andres Staff Writer

Jewish congregations will fan out Sunday, performing community-service projects across Los Angeles and Ventura counties, as they commemorate Valley Mitzvah Day 2002.

With the theme of Tikkun Olam, Hebrew for ``repair the world,'' the eighth-annual volunteer event is a project of the Jewish Community Relations Committee of The Jewish Federation Valley Alliance.

``Mitzvah Day is fabulous,'' said Rona Berger, co-chairwoman of the Valley Alliance Mitzvah Day committee. ``So many people are reaching out to others. My hope is that it's not just on Mitzvah Day, but something that they do throughout the year.''

``It's exciting to see so many groups come together to help heal our corner of the world,'' said Barbara Klaristenfeld, the other co-chairwoman. ``Mitzvah Day is all about exposing people to the potential, not just for one day but all year.''

Berger said planning for the event involves inviting speakers from organizations, like Jewish Big Brothers and Heal the Bay, that need volunteer help. The committee makes available those requests to temples planning projects for Mitzvah Day.

``Mitzvah Day is an opportunity for all synagogues to do social action. Social action is a core value of our people,'' said Rabbi Steven Tucker of Temple Ramat Zion (TRZ) in Northridge. ``It's not linked or tied to any Jewish holiday. It's a day to inspire us to do good deeds.''

Projects that temples have chosen range from the San Fernando Valley Interfaith Council's 27th annual CROP (Communities Reaching Out to People) Walk to fight hunger, visiting the elderly, beach and street cleanups, planting trees, blood drives, knitting blankets for needy newborns and letter-writing to Israeli soldiers.

``We wanted to have a full-blown program that would encompass the whole congregation this year,'' said Dr. Joseph Ruderman, chairman of the social action committee at TRZ. ``We had one mother who called to say that even though her children know about bringing money for tzedakah, charity, she wanted the children to know there was more to charity than giving money. She wanted them to do something physically.''

Ruderman's committee decided to collect books to be distributed to public schools, a woman's shelter and the Boys Club in Sylmar, and audio-tape donations will be made to senior retirement centers.

``A book donation was chosen for a number of reasons. One was that Jews are known as `People of the Book.' It also allows our nursery-school kids to participate as they are making bookmarks for the books we collect,'' Ruderman said.

In his High Holy Day sermons in September, Tucker challenged his congregation individually to find a way to build a better community in the San Fernando Valley this year.

``The Hebrew word 'mitzvah' really means commandment. But it has taken on a connotation of a 'good deed.' It's a deed for which no expectation or reward is expected. It's done for its own sake,'' Tucker said. ``There is a saying that the world rests on three things: Torah, prayer and deeds of loving kindness.''

A ``Mitzvah Fair'' will be part of TRZ's project Sunday. There will be sign-up lists for year-round projects like B'nai Brith's Bagel Brigade, Jewish Big Brothers and becoming a reading tutor for Koreh L.A. The fair will also include a barbecue hosted by the men's club, a boutique and a percussion workshop by Rebbe Soul.

``This is great for children because they need to see that there is a world beyond themselves,'' said Tucker. ``It allows them to see they can actually do something to help people. It's a win-win prospect.

Donations of books and audio tapes can be made during the Mitzvah Day Fair,from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Sunday at Temple Ramat Zion, 17655 Devonshire St., Northridge. Call [phone]. Other Valley Mitzvah Day events include: Blood drive from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. at Heschel Day School, 17701 Devonshire St., Northridge, and the CROP Walk, registration at 1 p.m. followed by the walk at 1:45 p.m., at Temple Judea, 5429 Lindley Ave., Tarzana.

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Temple Ramat Zion parents and preschoolers display bookmarks made to go with books collected during a book drive.

David Sprague/Staff Photographer