Yom Avodah (Work Day) is always a highlight of the Chalutzim calendar of special events. A day to give back to those around us, this year our projects revolved around beautifying our already gorgeous eidah. The chanichim cleaned the shvil (trail) from our moadon (clubhouse) to our beit tfillah, helped clean the benches in the beit tfillah, and created amazing signs to hang up all around Chalutzim to leave their mark for years to come. It was an amazing display of what their legacy will be after their last year as chanichim.

But Yom Avodah didn’t end there! In the afternoon, we took our first tiyul to the park where we helped volunteer. With the help of Moira and Foreman Ed at Nashotah Park, we moved woodchips onto trails and pruned treees. We finished what was expected at three hours of work in just one hour! The chanichim all took a well deserved break to enjoy the park after that (as well as a little treat of ice cream sandwiches). Moira and Foreman Ed were so grateful as they said it would have taken the two of them a whole week’s worth of work to do what we did.

The chanichim really learned the values of volunteering and hard work today, something which will serve them well for the rest of the summer, but, most importantly, they did it all with a smile. Whether it was dancing while painting or singing while woodchipping, all of Chalutzim knows that the best work is done when we do it together and with a chiyuch rachav (a wide smile).