Good Gluck
by Dori Gerber
Sifting through your daily mail can be a mundane and sometimes depressing task, especially when you realize that inside most of those envelopes are summons for your money. Every so often, inside that mountain of mail, is a colorful envelope with your name handwritten on it, and you know that at least one piece of parcel has been sent to lift your spirits instead of drain your bank account.
The feeling can be euphoric. Imagine, then, the elation felt by kids and seniors alike when they receive personalized greetings in the mail sent by perfect strangers whose only intentions are to make them smile.
Who are these perfect strangers? They are sisters, and lifelong residents of Altamonte Springs, Janna and Maya Gluck. Prior to the pandemic, Janna (24) and Maya (17) often volunteered at Give Kids the World in Kissimmee. When in-person volunteering came to a halt, the sisters knew they needed to do something to help the kids who were not only dealing with critical illnesses but with quarantine isolation, as well.
“My sister and I emailed the volunteer coordinator at Give Kids the World who sent us the names and addresses of kids who could no longer visit their facility,” explains Janna. “We started by sending birthday cards to these kids, but by July, we wanted to do more. I found Facebook Groups for families of children with life-threatening illnesses, and we began sending happy mail and care packages to the kids and their siblings.”
The recipients responded by posting pictures of their smiling faces in the Facebook Groups, and many sent return letters expressing their thanks. The sisters wanted to expand their reach to connect with members of the Orlando Jewish community who were in need of a little cheer in their lives. They decided to send 400 cards via the Jewish Pavilion to senior residents in the community.
Maya and Janna also reached out to renowned local Jewish artist Joanne Fink. Through regular Zoom sessions, Joanne helped the girls come up with a design for Rosh Hashanah cards.
Sending the High Holiday cards would be costly, so the sisters reached out to another community supporter, Renee Friedman, owner of FASTSIGNS Orlando, who printed the cards for the girls at cost.
What is the driving force behind the girls’ selfless acts of kindness? They both agree that it is tikkun olam, the Jewish concept meaning repair the world.
According to Maya, giving back to the community during the challenging times of COVID-19 is most rewarding.
“Knowing that I can help heal the world a little bit at a time with tikkun olam is why we’re doing this,” she says.
“We saw a need that had to be filled,” adds Janna. “We acted upon our feelings of tikkun olam, which was a foundational lesson we learned through our parents, grandparents, and lessons at the Jewish Academy.”
The sisters plan to continue sending cards for Hanukkah and Passover as well as birthday greetings and care packages to sick kids and their siblings. Their goal is to keep spreading good cheer long after the coronavirus crisis is over.
“People deserve to know that they are loved and that they matter, no matter what,” Janna says.