Students, joined by members of the entertainment industry, will spend the day engaging in hands-on volunteer work, community advocacy and education and training in social justice work with such groups as:
P.A.T.H. (People Assisting the Homeless)
Heal the Bay
Los Angeles Regional Food Bank
Midnight Mission
Venice Family Clinic
Beit T’shuvah
Downtown Women’s Center
Children’s Hospital Los Angeles

At the conclusion of the day of service, JUST FOR A DAY participants will be treated to exclusive performances by musical groups GUSTER and the LeeVees at the Henry Fonda Theater in LA, produced by JDUB Records, the not-for-profit label that launched the career of Matisyahu.

"We hope that JUST FOR A DAY will serve as a meaningful Jewish experience for the students," said Hillel President Wayne Firestone, "This event underscores the Jewish community’s commitment to tzedek, social justice."

JUST FOR A DAY is the central component of Hillel's participation in Jewish Social Action Month, which takes place during the Hebrew month of Cheshvan, October 23-November 21. At the same time, Hillel will recruit hundreds of students to participate in relief work in the Gulf of Mexico during December and spring break. Hillel is also signing up students for Leading Up North, a mission to repair areas of Israel damaged in last summer's bombing campaign by Hezbollah. The ten-day trips will involve repair of cities and towns, bomb shelters, and forests which have been devastated by the violence. A specially tailored educational curriculum will be offered by scholars-in-residence with expertise in service learning. Funding for Leading Up North is being provided by philanthropist Lynn Schusterman.

JUST FOR A DAY, a Weinberg Tzedek Hillel initiative, is being held as part of Hillel’s Student Program at the 2006 United Jewish Communities General Assembly (GA) in Los Angeles, Calif. The United Jewish Communities General Assembly is the annual gathering of the organized Jewish community. This conference typically attracts 5,000 participants including Jewish lay leaders, professionals, undergraduate and graduate students.

Weinberg Tzedek Hillel, dedicated to transforming life on campus and in the community, has been at the leading edge of social justice causes on college campuses. In addition to raising awareness about genocide in the Darfur region of Sudan, last year Hillel was the largest Jewish volunteer force in the Gulf of Mexico, helping hundreds of local residents return to their homes by gutting and rebuilding their residences after hurricanes Katrina and Rita. This winter delegations of students will travel to Israel to rebuild its northern region and will return to the Gulf of Mexico for continued Katrina relief. Social justice is a central component of Hillel Five-Year Strategic Plan.

For more information or to register for the event, visit www.justforaday.org, contact your local Hillel, or visit www.jdubrecords.org // www.guster.com // www.theleevees.com.