Mensch Club
Lindsay Lamont, Reporter|September 6, 2022
A comforting atmosphere surrounds you as a crackling fire accompanies your fervent conversations.
Although you are enjoying the time spent with friends, this celebration of culture connects you to long-standing religious traditions and the surrounding community.
A warm, doughy scent invades your nose and muddles your senses beautifully as your handmade Matzah finishes baking in the furnace.
Baking Matzah to commemorate Passover is just one of Mensch Club's many esteemed traditions.
The Sunnyslope Mensch Club, advised by Teacher Justine Simon and presided by six Sunnyslope students, provides a community for those interested in Judaism and Jewish culture. For those who don't know, "Mensch" is a Yiddish word describing an individual of integrity and honor.
"When I was a student here, school and my Jewish community felt very separate. It's nice to have this here for students to connect," said Simon.
Present since 2012, Mensch Club has quickly become an inclusive atmosphere for people of all cultures, united by their passion for Jewish tradition.
The bond of the Mensch Club community, although not the focal point of the club, is a substantial benefit of becoming a member.
"It's a very sweet and caring community. There's not a single time I've felt judged in Mensch Club," said Junior Hillary McHugh.
"Everyone's just there to have a good time and learn about the culture."
Along with building a campus-wide community, Mensch Club's chief priority is the preservation and celebration of Jewish culture.
Most notably, Mensch Club has celebrated Tu Bishvat, Purim, and Passover during their meetings.
The commemoration of Passover is an all-time favorite activity among past members of the community.
"I've never experienced anything like that before. It's just super cool and unique to Mensch Club and I'm looking forward to doing it again," said Senior Paul Pascual.
The leadership of Mensch Club are also planning to combine several new events and ideas with popular past activities.
Although the Mensch Club leadership and direction of the club change every year, the same passion and appreciation for Judaism and the community remain.
For the 2022-2023 school year, Mensch Club's leadership is split among six dedicated members. Senior Paul Pascual, Sophomore Audrey Gaffney, Junior Max Brauer, Senior Ava Bookspan, Sophomore Sammy Hiserodt, and Junior Dalia Wein make up the leadership team for Mensch Club. This dedicated group has planned to become even more active this school year.
"We want to continue with more hands-on activities to get into the culture, like baking Matzah in the furnace," said Pascual.
While the club independently chooses which community service projects to participate in, the members of Mensch Club and their other affiliated clubs have a great impact on the direction of the club's assistance.
"Mensch Club changes from year to year with who is involved…this year we have a lot of kids in theatre, so I have a feeling we'll be partnering up with them and, of course, Multicultural Club," said Simon.
Supporting their fellow clubs is just one of the many ways that Mensch Club strengthens the Sunnyslope community.
In the past, they have participated in recruiting blood donors for the Sunnyslope Blood Drives and volunteered with cross-country.
Clearly, Mensch Club's presence is felt throughout the entire Sunnyslope campus and community.
"[The leadership team] have been taking initiative…and they've been doing a lot of behind the scenes work to get ready for the year," said Simon.
As the school year begins to pick up speed, and clubs are finally reunited after the excitement of Club Rush, Mensch Club is more than prepared to take this school year by storm and welcome new members to their community.
"I can't wait for the first meeting after Club Rush. Oh my gosh, I can't wait to see more faces and really get to know more people. I'm so excited to share the experience," said Pascual.
Whether you're interested in helping the community, learning more about a beautiful culture, or want to celebrate your own heritage, Mensch Club is the perfect club to join.
Regardless of your personal religion and culture, if you share a similar passion and interest in Judaism and Jewish culture, you would be welcomed with open arms.
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