Chabad at Rice, Rice Hillel and the Program in Jewish Studies joined together to host the annual Mitzvah Marathon Feb. 27, transforming an ordinary weekday into a hub of service projects, spiritual reflection and community engagement. Named for the Hebrew word “mitzvah,” meaning a good deed or commandment, the marathon invited students and passersby to participate in a variety of service opportunities including sandwich-making, food donations, a blood drive, a bone marrow registry and card-writing for hospitalized children.
“We’re living in a time — especially with social media — where we see all the negative that’s happening around us,” said Rabbi Shmuli Slonim, co-director of Chabad at Rice. “It’s easy to fall into despair and think the world is so broken, and we can’t do anything about it.”
The marathon counters that narrative by emphasizing small, immediate actions that beget real and lasting impact.
“If you take a minute and you donate some food and make a peanut butter and jelly sandwich, you are helping someone today to eat something,” Slonim said. “That’s massive. That’s how you bring goodness to the world.”
Owls followed suit to answer the challenge.
“It’s an easy way to bring the community together to give back to other people who are less fortunate than us or in need,” said junior finance major Jonny de Leef, who stopped by the marathon to perform his daily good deed.
For Slonim, the heart of the Mitzvah Marathon lies not only in the individual projects but in the mindset it fosters. He said he hopes the event serves as more than a one-day burst of service. Instead, he sees it as a reminder that meaningful change often begins locally and with the people and opportunities closest to us.
Students leaving the event echoed that sentiment, Slonim said, noting that many described the experience as uplifting. The goal, he added, is to inspire participants to look for similar opportunities in their daily lives.
“Light is so much stronger than darkness,” he said. “Our little light really does make a big difference.”