Mitzvah Kitchen Delivers Shabbat Meals & Mitzvot
Mitzvah Kitchen, part of Mitzvah House, was founded by Rabbi Zalmy and Chaya Goldberg of Dunwoody.
Once every month, approximately 50 people receive a warm, delicious Shabbat dinner delivered directly to their homes, courtesy of Mitzvah Kitchen, part of Mitzvah House, begun by Rabbi Zalmy and Chaya Goldberg, residents of Dunwoody.
Many of the recipients of these meals have been recently discharged from hospitals, are recovering from cancer treatment, have undergone an organ transplant or had a newborn baby. For whatever reason, Mitzvah House is there for these families and individuals, arriving at their homes with a smile, words of inspiration and a homemade Shabbat dinner. Every meal includes challah, grape juice, several salads, a variety of dips, gefilte fish patties, soup, an entrée and dessert. Shabbat candles are also included to help usher in the holiday. On a recent Thursday morning, volunteers joined the Goldbergs to prepare fresh challah, several dips, vegetables, and sweet and savory chicken with roasted potatoes and a mustard dressing.
Michelle Swislow, one of the volunteers, decided to join the effort on her birthday because, in her words, “I wanted to do a mitzvah on my birthday.” She helped roll challah dough into twisted knots as another volunteer, Neil Chonin, a member of the B’nai Torah Hebrew Order of David, chopped vegetables at the other end of the long table at the Goldberg home.
“Our Hebrew Order of David chapter has been volunteering here each week since the beginning. We are committed to helping with the ongoing efforts of Mitzvah House,” said Chonin.
The Goldbergs launched Mitzvah Kitchen in March 2024. Primarily through word-of-mouth and sending messages via their email list, the requests for the Shabbat deliveries continue to grow. The dinners are prepared and delivered once a month. Individuals may nominate others or themselves by visiting the “Events” page at www.mitzvahhouse.com. A post goes up about three weeks before each kitchen delivery, according to the Goldbergs.
“We want to send good energy into the world. When people have a need, we try to fill it,” said Chaya. “We knew there were lots of Jewish people in Dunwoody and Sandy Springs who needed a meal for different reasons, so we decided to create the Mitzvah Kitchen,” she added.
The current goal for the Mitzvah Kitchen is to attract additional volunteers and benefactors as ongoing sponsors. “With greater involvement by the Jewish community, we hope to increase the number of nights and dinners we offer. Our pilot program this year has proven there is a definite need throughout Atlanta,” said Rabbi Goldberg. “And down the road, we’d love to open a separate kosher kitchen where volunteers can prepare the meals.
In addition to the Mitzvah Kitchen, the Goldbergs recently launched the Mitzvah Library at 2483 Mt. Vernon Road, located in the former Lidl shopping center. The space will serve as a meeting place for learning, playing and gathering as a Jewish community. An upcoming “Babies Love Shabbat” program will offer mothers, fathers and babies a place to meet other families while learning and creating pieces of art.
Also underway is the Mitzvah Bus, described by the Goldbergs as “a good deeds on wheels vehicle which will be a source of Jewish pride.” Mitzvah House has raised $50,000 thus far, and is hoping to raise another $25,000 to retrofit, wrap and outfit the sprinter van, which is set to arrive this month. The Mitzvah Bus will travel around Atlanta to events, festivals, parades, businesses and schools. The Goldbergs plan to include a Jewish library and Judaica inside the van as well.
“The Mitzvah Bus will help all of us share our Jewish pride. Especially after Oct. 7, we asked ourselves what can we do to bring more Judaism to a greater number of people in the most accessible way,” said Rabbi Goldberg.
Mitzvah House launched in 2022, initially creating Jewish clubs at Dunwoody public schools. Clubs are currently held at Ridgeview and Chamblee middle schools and Kingsley, Vanderlyn and Austin elementaries. In December, the organization will host several events including a “Frozen”-themed Chanukah Wonderland, a menorah lighting with a fire artist and gelt drop at Dunwoody Village, a Chinese dinner at the new Mitzvah House Library, and a menorah-making workshop at Ace in Dunwoody.
“The Lubavitcher Rebbe brought the notion of doing one good deed to bring more light into the world. We have a simple mission here at Mitzvah House. We ask every Jewish person to not only do mitzvot themselves, but also to encourage others in their circle of friends and associates to join them, whether it’s lighting Shabbat candles, wrapping tefillin or helping someone,” said Rabbi Goldberg.
More information on events and how to get involved with Mitzvah House can be found on the website at http://www.mitzvahhouse.com, by sending an email to hello@mitzvahhouse.com or contacting the Goldbergs at (678) 769-4833.
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