Busy, diverse chesed month for the girls at Central

At Central (the Yeshiva University High School for Girls), December is a time for students to step forward and create real change, embracing chesed as both responsibility and joy. Throughout the month, the school partners with organizations throughout the New York area to perform volunteer work.

On, Dec. 1, the class of 2026 traveled to Yad Leah Warehouse and Volunteer Center in Passaic  to contribute bags of donated clothing and help them in their efforts. On Dec. 10, Wildcats performed hands-on work with several organizations — freshmen with the Israel Chesed Center, while sophomores and juniors chose among Yachad Ivdu of Brooklyn, Masbia Soup Kitchen, Bobbie’s Place and JCC RP, preparing free kosher meals for those in need, distribute clothing to local families, and assisted children with a day of learning. Russian-speaking Wildcats helped put on a Chanukah party for senior citizens.

Other highlights of Chesed Month include: guest speaker Micah Kaufman, who discussed chesed work on Dec. 12, the annual Central Blood Drive on Dec. 23, and a month-long toy drive benefiting both Chai Lifeline and At the Top of My Lungs.

Chesed Month includes travel-based service opportunities embedded in Central life. Last year, a group of sophomores and juniors traveled to Asheville, North Carolina, to help rebuild homes destroyed by Hurricane Helene. Working in partnership with the Orthodox Union Relief Missions, students spent days clearing debris, repairing damaged structures, and supporting a homeowner who had lost their home to the storm.

This year, juniors Elianah Aminova, Liel Benlulu, Coco Hazan, Atara Krieger, Annabelle Kreitner, Kayla Leb, Aden Muskat, Eliana Sobolev, Sarah Wagman, and Avigail Weiss, chaperoned by Central Learning Center Specialist and Junior Grade Dean Sophie Blumenthal, had a similar transformative experience in Tampa, Florida, where communities are still recovering from recent storm devastation.

In the Tampa mission, also in conjunction with OU Relief Missions, students engaged in, labor-intensive chesed while learning the profound impact compassion can have on the larger world.

“Even small things we do can make a real difference in someone’s life,” said junior Coco Hazan. “This felt like a way for me to help out however I can, and it’s a special kind of opportunity that doesn’t come around often.”

The goal is simple: to help students understand that their actions — small and large — can change lives.

Central thanks Director of Religious and Israel Guidance and Senior Grade Dean Yael Axelrod, and Director of Student Activities Sydney Yaros, who worked to facilitate Chesed Month.