From Kesher to Kehilah: How Connection Becomes Community

Editors Note: For today's article, PPN invited senior Emma Roth to share her profile essay on how Kesher Club at Schechter transforms student passion into meaningful social-action initiatives. As studied in Schechter's senior-level College Writing course, profile essays are generally about an interesting person, place, or activity, and the writer seeks to share his or her fascination for the subject with the reader. Frequently, profiles incorporate quotes based on interviews, which are reflected here.

by Emma Roth, SSLI '26

On B-days, Room 205 becomes more than a classroom. Throughout the lunch period, it is filled with the kind of discourse that only happens when people are passionate and truly care about their work. Club leaders sit at the front of the room listening to members speak while taking notes on their shared Google Doc, which updates in real time. Someone adds bullet points for a new activity idea, someone else proposes a date, and the club's leadership board gets busy—from poster layouts and contacts to email, to items to purchase, and tasks to be delegated. By 1:27, the end of lunch, it is almost guaranteed that a new fundraiser, drive, or service activity has not only been proposed but is nearly ready to be executed. This is Kesher Club, the social-action and community service club here at Schechter, where caring and compassion become planning and action.

During a meeting in the spring of 2025, the faculty advisor for Kesher, Ms. Laury Kassell, informed everyone that a fifth grader, Evelyn, attending nearby St. Aidens School, was bravely battling Acute Myeloid Leukemia (AML). The decision was made quickly and unanimously that, as a club, Kesher needed to take action, and everyone worked together to assemble a care basket using club funds that remained from previous fundraisers. They even took into account tiny details, including the fact that Evelyn’s favorite color is purple.

Not all Kesher activities are the same, but most start out with an idea, just like this one. The items were then ordered, and Ms. Kassell contributed supplies out-of-pocket from what was not covered by club funds. Schechter senior and Vice President of Kesher Eden Greenfeld commented, “A moment I felt proud of the club was when we walked to St. Aiden’s to give a basket to a girl that was suffering with Leukemia; through the basket, we were able to show her that people are there for her and that whatever she’s going through is important, and she’s important.” That moment truly stuck with current Schechter senior Sarah Shlefstein, even before she held the position of Co-President of Kesher. She explained that “one of the most impactful communities I’ve been part of is Kesher…” noting that when she first joined the club, she thought it only “consisted of academic discourse on community service topics” and quickly came to realize that it was more than that. Additionally, she expressed that making and delivering the care package was impactful and that “Seeing the club's effort to brighten a young girl's day reminded me that empathy is a cornerstone of leadership, alongside compassion and patience.”

Kesher Club Toy Drive poster (@kesher_ssli)

 

Today, those same values, plus many more, are shared by the members who sit beside Sarah, Eden, and me in the room while leading meetings. Students do not simply show up to the club out of obligation or to fulfill the commitment they made at the Club Fair at the start of the year; they choose to show up because they feel a certain sense of responsibility and compassion towards what Kesher stands for. Also, because of how everyone is involved, it uniquely impacts the community: Kesher was built by and continues to be led by those who truly care about making a difference in the local and global community. 

This drive and true passion towards social action is something that Ms. Kassell has noticed for years since she was first asked to advise Kesher. She described Kesher members as those who have a certain way of viewing life. She expressed that “anyone who is an active member of Kesher does have a certain profile, and that student is very community-oriented … someone who really wants to do good, someone who really wants to contribute to the outside world and Schechter.”

This mindset is not limited to the members of Kesher, however. When Kesher Club hosts a fundraiser or drive, the entire school community knows about it. Whether that is through the posters all over the hallways, advertisements in the daily Mah Chadash emails, posts on the Student Government Instagram pages, or even just by people seeing the donations in front of the building, everyone is encouraged to participate. Greenfeld said, “This is a way of including the entire Schechter community in helping others, and it [is] not just the people in the club,” explaining that food, clothing, and other donations come from community members and families. She also expressed that “Kesher’s impact on Schechter is strong. As a club, we’re able to get the entire community to help with worldwide … and local problems and educate some students or teachers that may not be aware of these [issues]....” During fundraisers, many teachers and even students will stop by to both contribute and ask questions about the causes to become more educated about the organizations Kesher chooses to support.

Even people who are not connected to Kesher in any way also get a sense of warmth and the drive to help the community when the club is hosting events. Senior Joshua Jurmann, who is not a Kesher member, stated, “I’ve donated a couple of times and, yeah, it makes me feel good.”

Kesher is not just a club. It’s the heartbeat of the school. Kesher emphasizes not only its members' values and passions, but also how the school cares and responds to its community as well. From the many ideas brought up in room 205, during B-day lunch periods, to the same ideas coming to life in the halls, Kesher’s members impact the community by leading by example. As Ms. Kassell puts it best, “ [the fact] that I'm allowed to take a back seat because you [are all] taking control, and to witness that sort of student initiative and participation and heart is really what makes this most meaningful for me.”

Emma Roth is a guest writer for Paw Print Now and a co-president of Kesher Club. Emma is currently a senior at the Schechter School of Long Island and can be reached at the following email address: eroth26@schechterli.org