And A, and B, and C. She states the alphabet as if it were the truest thing the world could know.

Throughout much of the program, students participated in the planning and implementation of activities. Havdalah and the closing programs were no exception. Following our dinner in fine style in the famous Tujague’s Restaurant in the French Quarter, we gathered back at the hotel for Havdalah.

Tonight we attended an amazing jazz performance by the Tornado Brass Band at New Orleans’ historic Preservation Hall This was a great way to experience this culture firsthand, as New Orleans is the birthplace of jazz.

It was a scorcher in the Lower Ninth Ward in New Orleans yesterday and today is supposed to be even hotter (don’t worry – we’re taking lots of breaks, wearing sunscreen, and drinking plenty of water!). With the temperature including humidity almost reaching 100, we still made significant progress on our work, clearing two lots we had been working on.

Camp Newman was so much fun! Composed by Emily Hudson and Sarah Fishman

We had the fantastic opportunity today to all come together to work in the Lower Ninth Ward with Beacon of Hope. It was so incredible to have our whole group together for the first time helping clear out vegetation and overgrown lots.

Greetings! After a long, fun filled weekend, the fourth of July has come to an end. On monday all of the job sites, except for Regency, had the day off.

What an amazing holiday weekend! Mitzvah Corps of the South celebrated Shabbat and the Fourth of July together with prayer, service work, and incredible festivities.

MCS Reflections on our first week from the THLB group at Kingsley House…

With our first work week completed, we got ready for our first real weekend! On Friday we had our Shabbat Services on the quad which were lead by Jay on guitar. It was a peaceful transition into the weekend and helped us all relax after a wonderful work week.

Below are some thoughts of MCS participants about their time working at Kingsley House.

Dear Diary, Elijah's Promise is a place where people go when they are unable to provide food for themselves.

Despite the dampness in the air, there is no dampening the spirits of the Mitzvah Corps of the South participants. Hurricane Alex is making its way along the Gulf Coast this week but for the volunteers at Kinglsey House, it’s just another day at the beach.

This is UMC staff reporting live from our quad after our first successful week of UMC!

On the second night of our summer journey, as a sacred community we created the idea a shehecianu board. This simple piece of tree fiber houses the shec which we use to celebrate our new experiences. Here is the first UMC cyber Shec, this is the first blog post of the summer!

Mitzvah Corps of the South participants started working at their daily service sites yesterday and are certainly in for a long – but rewarding – week of work! Half of the group is spending its week volunteering at Kingsley House – a preschool and Head Start program for low-income children – and I had the pleasure of working alongside participants with Beacon of Hope, a New Orleans rebuilding and recovery nonprofit.

BAMC participant, Adam W. reflects on his first few days in the Bay Area

Mitzvah Corps of the South has begun! Yesterday, our sixteen participants arrived in New Orleans, bags packed with supplies needed for two weeks of volunteer service. We spent the afternoon meeting each other, playing games, and learning about the program.

You and I will change the world, you and I. Then all will join us. Though it’s been said before it doesn’t matter. You and I will change the world. You and I will start from the beginning. It may be difficult, but it doesn’t matter.”

Elohai n’Shamah shenatata bi, T’horah hi. You created me. You shaped me. You breathed me into life. I close my eyes. I hear her laugh, I hear her squeal. I hear her breath as she falls asleep in my arms as we float down the lazy river.

“Chew, Pranav, chew!” These words left my mouth often during my time at Daisy.

For the first three weeks of Urban Mitzvah Corps, I worked at Regency Heritage Nursing Home. It made me overall concerned. I walked through the halls and shot smiles right and left. Stop here. How are you? Fine.

On July 12th, I sprained my ankle competing in UMC Macabia. I was devastated; I couldn’t go back to Daisy on crutches so I went to Regency. At first, I was entirely uncomfortable. It was the week of my Nana’s yartseit and the last thing I wanted was to be in a nursing home all day. I tried to make the most of it and one day I ended up meeting an ultra orthodox resident named Chana Sadowsky.

Both NFTY GER and Urban Mitzvah Corps were introduced to me at a young age. My older sister was very involved in NFTY and both my uncle and sister participated in UMC. When I was eligible to apply for UMC, I couldn’t wait.

Covering an entire table with shaving cream and goop. Being dunked 15 times in a row at Crystal Springs because at Daisy games never get old. A nice greeting of “Hi, how are you?”

Sometimes when I listen to President Obama speak, I hear F.D.R. reverberating in the silence. I can hear the both of them calling upon the children of America. I can hear them prophesying a rendezvous with destiny, a new deal, a great change, a new age. i feel the hope in their voices; an undying belief in America’s youth.

The Light

Even the young one’s who just grew out of their pampers. But I knew although we experienced different worlds, miles a part, Just like that - snap - we grew close at heart. Soon I was to leave the camp,

the conversation started about coffee. he asked me jokingly whether it was Columbian or not. I told him I wasn’t sure, but I doubted it.

Bobby Kopac. What a race car driver’s name. Every day you would walk into Daisy with your Lightning McQueen backpack and your empty token board in hand just waiting for someone to read you your rules for Camp Daisy

Before coming to UMC, I was a shy, nervous person. But after being here for the past six weeks, I have grown. I have come out of my shell and am no longer the shy girl I once was. After working at both Regency and Daisy,

Going to work each day makes me feel my happiest. Working may seem tiresome and wasteful of time to many people, but I am beginning to see it as an opportunity to pass joy unto others. For the past three weeks, I have been volunteering at Regency

I have never had a more life changing experience than the last three weeks than at Daisy. Daisy is a day camp for special needs children and I absolutely fell in love with the place. By the time I was done working there I know every camper’s name as well as their interest.

Working at Play S.A.F.E. was an amazing experience that will always be apart of my most memorable moments in life. Through my time working the campers at Play S.A.F.E., I have learned so much about how to run a camp on a daily basis.

Thursday was my last day at Regency- the nursing home that I had worked at the past three weeks. Overall it was a really fulfilling experience. I met so many amazing people and made so many friends.

As some of you know by now we spent yesterday in Sacramento, learning about he legislative process and how to get involved as citizen advocates. It was truly a great day and we learned a lot, but nothing could compare with the day's surprise ending. Between 4:00 pm and 4:15 pm PDT something magical happened. I'm not sure I can do the events justice so below we've provided several accounts of those events in the words of our participants.

Here's an entry frm our edcator on some of things our participants have been learning in our educational programming.

We head out to Sacremento tomorrow for a day of learning about advocacy and public policy, but before we do I'd like to share with you some of our participant's thoughts and feelings about the last few days in the life of Bay Area Mitzvah Corps. Julie, Hannah, Maya, and Kimmy got together with me for little bit last night. Here are some of their thoughts on working at the Jewish Home for the Aged, The AIDS Memorial Grove, and starting at new volunteer sites.

There will be a longer post tomorrow from some of our participants, but I just wanted to give you all a really quick update on our weekend before then.

By: Gayle Forman

By Kelly Kossar, Student Life Coordinator

By Kelly Kossar, Student Life Coordinator

By Darrell Engle

by: Erica Michelson

By Ben Silver

First of all, on behalf of our U.M.C.: N.J. group, thank you for coming today and speaking with us. While the faces of the program have changed, the original concept of the program still resonates with us, even to this very day. To pick a piece of the world and help fix it is rewarding in itself.

Last week we talked a litle bit about our work in The Mission tutoring under privileged kids. We thought today we'd fill you in on some of our other service projects. Read-on for a look at our work with the Mentally disabled as well as our experience serving the needy at Glide Memorial Church.

This past Sunday in preparation for the beginning of our second week of work of everything we'd done at our worksites during the first week. Our participants have learned some amazing things about themselves and the world as a result of their work and I'd like to take the time to share some of their thoughts with you now.

By: Kelly Kosser, Student Life Coordinator

This is day number three of working at the Kingsley House in New Orleans, and I want to share with you just a few things I’ve learned while working with the 3 and 4 year olds here:

We are now three days into our work at our volunteer sites and I'm sure you're eager to hear about what our participants are up to. On that note here's a brief update from a few of our students.

Today we had a really cool evening program called "Shul In The Pool." It was held at Crystal Springs in East Brunswick. It ended up not being an educational program, but a relaxing one.

Saturday's surprise activity was a fun-filled trip to Six Flags Great Adventure. When we found out where we were going, which was basically when we got there, everyone was so excited for the day to come. Much to our expectations, it was a great day filled with moments we will all remember.

The service held this past Friday night was truly unforgettable. Each of us put in so much energy to try to express the true meaning and soul embodied by UMC.

Today was an absolute scorcher in New Orleans with a heat index in the upper nineties. Work in the lower ninth ward was mercifully in short supply. Working with the Common Ground Collective we spent some time with other volunteers from New York and Baltimore clearing lots belonging to residents who wish to return but currently lack the physical or financial means to rebuild their ruined homes or even to properly landscape their property.

During my time here with Mitzvah Corps, I’ve become an expert at the art of getting dirty in New Orleans. Luckily, I am generously willing to share my techniques with the world. Here are the best methods. 1) Painting – Whether you’re painting the inside of a house of the outside, painting is a sure-fire way to get dirty in New Orleans. In fact, if you use the right type of sealant, the paint on your body will be unremovable, rendering you dirty for days.

I love URJ camps. From my 7 years at Harlam, to the weeks when I tagged along with my dad to Kutz, to the amazing time I had Friday and Saturday at Jacobs. I am not going to pretend that I enjoyed the 3.5 hour van ride, but sing alongs and talks with my awesome new friends definitely helped. Shabbat at Jacobs was a blast.

Hey Everyone! We have had such an exciting first week! It is amazing to see how close all thirty of us have gotten in such a short amount of time. This week I worked at the Common Ground Collective.

1. How to mud a wall/house (and what it is) 2. People named Wilbur actually exist. 3. New Orleans has the worst roads in the country

Hello parents and family members, this is Lisa Delson writing, the director of the program here in New Orleans. It has been a pleasure getting to know your kids over the past few days.

We've just returned from our trip to the Religious Action Center in Washington, D.C. As someone who has gone through the L'takein Seminar twice, I had wondered if this trip would offer anything new to me. I was not disappointed.

This past weekend my fellow UMCers and I went to the Religious Action Center in Washington, D.C.

We just got back from Washington, D.C., thirty minutes ago. It is the night before we begin working at our second job site, and I have very bittersweet feelings.

As you all know, last Friday the UMC community participated in a long weekend of learning at the Religious Action Center of Reform Judaism in Washington, D.C. This was not your typical trip to D.C.!

As exhausted as I was coming home from the RAC trip, we had to work at our new job sites the next day. My new job is PlaySAFE... a camp for inner-city kids.

Last night we sat through an emaotional, three-hour long program on bias incidents and crimes.

Join us for the Urban Mitzvah Corps creative service at Anshe Emeth Memorial Temple on August 1 at 7:30 PM!

Hey Ya'll. Mitzvah Corps of the South is officially in swing. Our staff and our participants have finally been united so that the fun may begin. All the planes and cars made it to New Orleans without a hitch.

Hey Everyone! We all arrived safely to New Orleans the other afternoon. Everybody was super excited about the coming two weeks. We started the trip with mixers and getting-to-know-you games. We got cool blue bracelets that helped to bond the group together. We had discussions about our fears, hopes, expectations and goals for our experience here in New Orleans.

Because Wallis never changed her phone from New York time, Heather and Wallis started off their day at 2 am from a ringing alarm that they thought they had set for 5 am. They then realized something was wrong when it was still pitch black, no one was washing up in the bathroom, and you could hear a pin drop on the floor.

Early in the morn we all shlumped downstairs to gather before leaving for synagogue. While last week we had services at Camp Newman, this time we were going to a LGBTQ friendly synagogue. The Muni was delayed for a while at a stop so we actually ended up experiencing only 20 minutes of an open Jewish service.

Today was my first time working at the Food Bank. I had the morning shift which was different from some people who either were working there all day or would be arriving in the afternoon. After a long journey to the food bank, including a 45 minute bus ride and 15 minute Muny ride, and some confusion as to where the bus stop was, the morning group finally arrived.

When I first walked into Daisy on the first day, I didn't know what to expect. Oh sure, UMCers visited Daisy for an orientation a few days before, but I realized very quickly that this would be an unforgettable experience.

Working on staff for UMC has been a fabulous experience. As Student Life Coordinator I have been cooking up a storm. On Friday we gobbled up 8 large challahs. They loved it so much they asked me to share the recipe with you.

On my second day at my new service site, 826 Valencia, I started to become more comfortable with the structure and atmosphere of this environment. At 826, we spend the day helping, tutoring, reading and playing with a child who is two or more years behind their grade level in English due to the fact that it is not their first language.

Monday was the start of the second service second. I had been selected to work in the San Francisco Botanical Gardens along with Sarah, Elyse, Autum, Hayley and Anna and I was really excited. I woke up at 7:15 and leaped out of bed in the direction of the showers even though we didn’t have to be downstairs until 8:50. As I raced down the hallway, I imagined working side by side with my friends under the cover of some beautiful trees with the pretty San Francisco sun beaming down on us providing us with the perfect conditions to give life to many fun, interesting plants.

Sunday July 13 we woke up for breakfast with Rabbi Laura who we had a program with discussing teshuva (atonement). We explored the story of King David and Bathsheba debating whether David repented or not and what the process of repenting involves.

Today, after staying overnight at Camp Newman, we attended Shabbat morning services with the camp. We left around 11 in the morning and drove to the Jelly Belly Factory.

Serving at UMC's Educator for the summer, here is some information on what I'm doing to incorporate Jewish learning into our participants' experiences. During our first week we started Mitzvah Journaling, an activity in which all participants received a handout of all 613 Mitzvot, found at least one mitzvah they fulfilled throughout their day at their volunteer jobsites, and then wrote about it. Some students wrote a poem, some wrote a paragraph sharing an anecdote, and others drew a picture. Afterwards, we all shared our mitzvah and how our days were committed towards these commandments. It served as a great way to remind ourselves that our days are full of with Jewish fulfillment! We plan on repeating Mitzvah Journaling at least weekly throughout the summer.

Play S.A.F.E. at Lincoln Elementary School is a very interactive program. Today, about half of the kids went to the town pool. I went with them and one other counselor as was given the privilege of teaching approximately 5 of them how to swim!

Today was the final day of Service Session 1. It was a day full of closure of a wonderful experience. For the Service Session, I worked at 826 Valencia. While working at Valencia, I had the unique experience to not only work with the same two kids every day and form a relationship with them, but also to work behind the scenes at Valencia. On one day, I worked in the back office of Valencia helping to compile articles for their newspaper. My time at Valencia was amazing and today was no different.

First, I want to apologize for the sporadic blog updates. UMC is at the mercy of the Rutgers internet service which has been up and down in our dorm over the past week. But we're back now!

Yesterday was only our 5th day working at our first service sites but it feels like we’ve known the people there forever. We –the girls- woke up to the beautiful voices of three boys singing and started to get ready for the day. We went downstairs for an assorted breakfast of cereals and bagels and packed our lunches for the day.

It's hard to believe we're already 11 days into an amazing summer! UMC started off on a great note as we became one large community with our first Shabbat. While our first weekend was jam packed with information about our job sites, covering the boundaries of where we could be during free time, and getting to know one another, we've all been coming together and making incredible friendships!

Since coming to San Francisco we have learned many things about free love. In our first two weeks we have been to many events that show the openness of the city. Yesterday we went to the Glide Memorial Church.

Saturday, we went to the Jewish Home for The Aged for Shabbat. When we arrived we immediately went to breakfast with their Rabbi and he taught us about how Judaism affects their clients. We also talked about the issues their community faces as they grow older. After that we went to Saturday morning services with the elderly.

As usual, I woke from the sound of my roommate’s alarm clock ringing at 7:00. As she dressed and departed for her day at 826 Valencia, I gratefully reshut my eyes and went back to sleep. The Janet Pomeroy group rose and left slightly later, at 9:20. We arrived in time to split up into teams working with adults, seniors, and VLS, or the vocational learning group.

So today we got a huge surprise. We went to the Giants game, even though it was basically about to snow (or at least felt like it). I drank about 2 gallons of hot cocoa to stay warm which made me have to go to the bathroom right before we got on the Malay. When we were riding the elevator back down I met an older women who lived in Berwyn, IL and she was a cubs fan. We had a huge conversation about the economy and stuff like that.

Today was our first day working at the volunteer sites. The 826 Valencia group, my group, woke up first; our commute was much longer than the Janet Pomeroy commute. We were all a little bit nervous, a little bit excited, and very tired. The Gay Pride Parade had left us in a crazy frenzy of not wanting to go to sleep, which will always be somewhat of a mistake no matter the circumstances.