Good deeds to honor the victims of evil

On Friday, Sept. 11, Gainesville’s annual Good Deed Mitzvah Marathon commemorating the victims of 9/11 will be held at Turlington Plaza.

The marathon, a joint effort of the Lubavitch-Chabad Jewish Student Center and the Chabad-Lubavitch Student Group, will last from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. and provide current students and community members an opportunity to do a good deed in memory of the victims of the Sept. 11, 2001 terrorist attack.

Participants will choose from a variety of good deeds and document their efforts on a form. They will then attach the form to a 9/11 victim's photo fastened to a mini wooden replica of the twin towers. This will create the “Twin Towers of Good Deeds and Love.”  All participants will receive a sticker acknowledging their deeds.  At 12:45 p.m., a moment of silence will be observed.

Rabbi Berl Goldman, Executive Director of the Lubavitch-Chabad Jewish Student Center at UF, said that, “Although our world at times experience great darkness and deliberate expressions of hate; love and kindness chase away much darkness.  The ‘Twin Towers of Good Deeds and Love’ will express an outpouring of giving, generosity and care, which will help alleviate much pain and sadness.”

Jessica Zank, student president of the Lubavitch-Chabad Student Group at UF expressed the importance of this project. “Students tend to get very busy with their own lives. It’s important that they take a few moments to remember those who sacrificed their lives and do a good deed in their memory,” Zank said.

Chanie Goldman, co-director, added, “It is especially important with the global threat of ISIS and other terrorist groups that all people infuse goodness and kindness into our world, proving that evil will never win.”

The event is free to all students and the general public. For further information, please contact Rabbi Berl Goldman at 352-336-5877 or 352-256-3323.