I, along with so many others, was sitting home, alone, during the pandemic, uncertain and scared to interact face-to-face. I wondered ‘how could I help those less fortunate than myself?’  and as winter was approaching, an idea came to me.

My idea was to create an advert, inviting several Jewish community groups to knit or crochet squares that I  would sew together to create a blanket to donate to a woman’s shelter; to a woman fleeing from domestic violence.  This idea dovetails with one of Na’amat’s main missions. Some ladies from Vancouver’s Na’amat Galim chapter, from Burquest’s Jewish Community Association and from Temple Shalom, and their friends and family answered the call.

Turning Hopelessness into Hopefulness

While it can be argued that we as individuals seem powerless to alter the overwhelming and seemingly intransigent   problem  of domestic violence,  it is also true that we, together, working one stitch at a time, could create a tiny bit of warmth that did not exist before we contributed our unique energies.  

The value of such an act of kindness is manifold:  

•  Using our spare time productively, in a creative, relaxing, even therapeutic way
•  Helping those less fortunate
•  Providing tangible charity or ‘tzeddakah”
•  Demonstrating how individuals can work collectively to produce a greater whole

The twin sized blanket, shown in the photograph, reveals the caring we are capable of, as a team, by creating  one stitch at a time. 

What can you do in your community to stay safe while still helping others?

Laura is a member of Na’amat Canada Vancouver

The views and opinions expressed in this post are the writer’s alone and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of Na’amat Canada.