Mitzvah Jamie

How to Find a Mitzvah Project That Isn’t Forced

We’ve all seen the “blank stare.” You ask your 12-year-old what they care about, and they shrug and go back to their phone. As a teacher, I see this all the time. It’s not that they don’t care; it’s that the question “How do you want to repair the world?” is terrifyingly big.

This is your permission to stop scrolling through Pinterest lists of “Top 50 Mitzvah Projects.” Those lists lead to projects that feel like chores. Instead, we look for their unique and individual spark.

In my sessions, we start with what they already do. Do they love Minecraft? Let’s talk about digital community building. Are they obsessed with sports? Let’s look at equity in local youth leagues. When a project is born from a kid’s actual life, you don’t have to nag them to do it. They want to do it because it’s finally about them.