Jewish grp. kicks off annual charity drive

A mascot dressed as a red and blue pin, free cookies for all attendees and an appearance by Philadelphia Mayor Ed Rendell were among the offerings yesterday on College Green as the Penn United Jewish Appeal organization kicked off its second-annual Half-Shekel Campaign. The purpose of the event is to unite Jews on campus and to raise money for the UJA, a philanthropic organization that provides services to Jewish people in need worldwide, according to organizers. A highlight of the event was the appearance by Penn alumnus Rendell, who is Jewish. He expressed praise and overwhelming support of the students' efforts. The UJA network's services include housing, food, shelter and support for struggling Jews; camps for children; and trips to Israel. After assuring the group that donations for homeless Jews have been well spent, Rendell encouraged all to contribute to the cause. "When you do community service, the big winner is not those people whom you help, but yourself," Rendell exclaimed. "You feel unbelievable." "The Half-Shekel campaign is about tikkun olam -- healing, repairing and transforming the world," announced College senior Rebecca Heller, the student coordinator for the campaign, to an audience of 50 students and many more passers-by. The premise of tikkun olam is derived from a passage in the Bible, in which every person, regardless of wealth, was obligated to donate a half-shekel, a monetary unit. This ritual served as a reliable census of the community and as fundraising for the Tabernacle, a traveling Jewish temple. The Half-Shekel Campaign reinstates the tradition, with objectives similar to its Biblical predecessor: to collect donations for tzedakah -- the Hebrew word for justice or charity -- and to encourage people to identify and count themselves as Jews. College senior Josh Styne described the campaign as "an effort to create a community of caring Jews without the divisive sects of Judaism." University President Judith Rodin had also planned to speak but cancelled shortly before the event due to a scheduling conflict. She sent a letter vouching for her support of the campaign. After the speeches, the crowd headed to the Button, which was covered in blue and red cloths, for a symbolic repairing of the world with a Penn ribbon. With Rendell and the Shekel mascot at one end and Heller at the other, the three applied the symbolic band-aid. The UJA steering committee, consisting of 12 team captains and roughly 200 other students, is conducting the four-week campaign that includes face-to-face conversations, faculty outreach and a Passover picnic, culminating with Mitzvah Day on April 11 -- which is similar to Penn's Into the Streets community service program.