06/01/2026
Tikkun Olam is not just a slogan. It is a call to action, an embodiment of our values, carried l’dor v’dor, from generation to generation. 💙✨
Gabi Sabony, Coordinator of Diller Teen Fellows, and Samantha Meyler, Coordinator of Teen Experiential Learning, from Jewish Federation of Greater MetroWest NJ were recognized at Congregation Ahavas Sholom’s Tikkun Olam Awards for their leadership in organizing a volunteer effort supporting Newark’s most vulnerable residents.
On December 14, a major snowstorm hit. Roads closed. Plans stalled. But the work didn’t. Volunteers still showed up to pack and distribute essential supplies, because the people counting on them couldn’t wait.
Their leadership met an urgent need and created space for teens to step up and be part of something bigger than themselves.
In a room filled mostly with adults, our teens were welcomed and treated as such. Not someday. Now.
This is what it looks like when values turn into action across a community, carried forward from one generation to the next.
Lesson from the night: We do not wait for perfect conditions to do the right thing.
Curious what this looks like? Learn more about our Teen programs: jfedgmw.org/teens
With gratitude to Congregation Ahavas Sholom, and to Eric Freedman and Emily Manz, for the partnership and recognition.
