New York City Jewish mother Amber Adler is a conscientious Jewish mother, involved with her children, making sure they have plenty of activities; but she is also making sure they learn about the importance of Tikkun Olam — the Jewish precept of making the world a better place.
Adler is focused on teaching her children the importance of civic engagement by guiding them in ways to help the community.
The Adlers volunteer as a family at local soup kitchens and participate in interfaith dialogue. They have even sponsored and passed out surgical masks to community members and essential workers on the front lines in their area.
This past Thursday afternoon, Adler brought her family to participate in the memorial for George Floyd at Cadman Plaza at the foot of the Brooklyn Bridge.
Adler, a civic leader in Southern Brooklyn, had been invited to speak at the event. “I was honored to participate in this important cause to show solidarity when so often the Orthodox community is portrayed as indifferent,” Adler told JewishPress.com.
Eight-year-old Shmuel was photographed by Anna Rathkopf at the event bumping elbows with his young black friend Ray Frederick — a snap that almost immediately went viral after Adler shared the image on Twitter. Shmuel’s younger brother, six-year-old Yaakov was also present at the event.
“I am so happy that my son is spreading our family message of unity and compassion for all people,” Adler added.