Toronto High School Revolutionizes Mivtzoim using New Mitzvah Platform

At its inception half a year ago, OneMitzvah.org served as a tool for shluchim to create mitzvah campaigns for their communities, as well as the platform where the largest collection of mitzvah pledges ever amassed was collected as a gift for the Rebbe’s 120th birthday. Since then, its vision has expanded and its platform is now open to the public.

The mitzvah fundraising platform is a project of the Moshiach Office at Merkos 302 and is a free, public site where anyone can create a personalized mitzvah campaign. With the singular mission of bringing Moshiach, based on the Rambam “that a person must view the world as a balanced scale and one mitzvah can tip the scales to the side of merit,” OneMitzvah.org aims to be the inspiration for the increase of good deeds around the world, leading to that one final act that will usher in the redemption. “Use it as an impetus to increase mitzvahs,” says Rabbi Shlomie Naparstek, director of the Moshiach Office. “That’s the goal.”

One of those creative Mitzvah campaigns is taking place at the Bais Chomesh High School in Toronto, “When I saw the site, I thought it was such a great idea and perfect for what we needed,” shares Chaya Mishulovin, head of Mivtzoim at the school. “We started a Mivtzoim campaign with the goal of 10,000 Shabbos candles given out this year.” Motivating girls to go out and do Mivtzoim can be challenging, but “the girls are so excited! We’ve never had something like this before, where they can track it on a website. On OneMitzvah, we were able to personalize our campaign and create teams. Each girl has her own page with a personal goal of 100 neshek. They think it’s so cool!”

It’s not just cool. It’s impactful. In just two months, the girls have reached over 20% of their goal, with 2,408 Shabbos candle kits given out. That’s 2,408 candles being lit Friday night. Two thousand four hundred eight mitzvahs closer to the final mitzvah that brings Moshiach.

Rochel Mochkin, who works together with Mishulovin, agrees. “OneMitzvah has opened up a whole new world of Mivtzoim for our school. The girls are motivated to go out and do Mivtzoim. It’s awesome for them to see the numbers climbing. And seeing the progress of the school as a whole, and their classmates, in particular, motivates the girls to keep trying to do more.”

Leeba Hecht, an 11th grader at Bais Chomesh, always valued the importance of Mivtzoim but admits it wasn’t always easy. “I knew there were Jews who needed to be reached, but it was hard. In Toronto, you’re out in the cold, wind, and snow; it’s freezing. OneMitzvah has motivated me so much! Seeing my progress and how far we’ve come from Friday to Friday really continues to push me to do more. I can see how one neshek is all it takes to make a difference and light up the world.”

Metropolitan Toronto is home to over 200,000 Jews and offers plenty of opportunities for outreach and connection. Every Friday, the girls go out on their own, hitting up the city’s shops, businesses, and storefronts. Being able to plug in their amounts on an interactive platform leaves the girls feeling motivated and fulfilled, ready to continue spreading light the next week.

Setting up a OneMitzvah campaign is very simple. “I didn’t realize how easy it was, and the OneMitzvah team was super helpful,” says Chaya. The website has a step-by-step video guide, and the OneMitzvah support team is close at hand to help out whichever way they can.

OneMitzvah Campaigns can be set up for birthdays, refuah sheleimahs, yahrtzeits, community events, school functions, and even meaningful team-building initiatives. You can get creative; OneMitzvah allows you to utilize it in whichever way you can to increase mitzvahs. Besides starting a campaign, there is also an option to simply pledge mitzvahs as an individual.

The re-launching of OneMitzvah this year has an even deeper significance. Being a year of Hakhel, the essential purpose of the once-in-seven-year mitzvah being the strengthening of Torah and mitzvahs in the Jewish nation, OneMitzvah makes Hakhel a reality. “This is a call to action,” says Rabbi Moshe Kotlarsky, Vice-Chairman of Merkos L’inyonei Chinuch, “that there should be not one Jew that does not do a mitzvah this year! We must do whatever it takes to see that in the year of Hakhel, all the Jews will gather together, and we will march to Yerushalayim, to Moshiach Tzidkeinu, speedily in our days, amen!”

Visit OneMitzvah.org to see all the info, set up your campaign, and pledge mitzvahs.