In our home, Tikkun Olam isn’t just a phrase—it’s a way of life. Since our kids were little, my husband and I have worked to instill the value of giving back. It may seem lofty when they’re still learning to wash their hands, but these ideas aren’t too big for them. Children understand fairness and kindness more naturally than we think—and when those values are modeled by people they love, they stick.

As Jews, we’re taught that giving tzedakah and performing acts of kindness are obligations, not extras. 

But in daily life, teaching these values can fall by the wayside. Big issues like cancer research are hard for young kids to grasp, but that’s okay. The key is to start small, with tangible acts of kindness that they can relate to. That’s how we plant the seeds of empathy and responsibility.

Growing up, I remember going door-to-door with my mom to collect donations for cystic fibrosis. We went to charity 5Ks, gave tzedakah, donated clothes, and helped at my grandparents’ synagogue. My parents and grandparents simply led by example. Somewhere along the way, those values took root in me.

As a parent, I have tried to approach tzedakah more intentionally. 

We’re raising our daughters to know that giving back isn’t something “extra” you do when you have time; it’s essential. It is a part of who we are. One of my favorite examples of this is my daughter, Charli, who turned empathy into action in a way that makes me proud.

When Charli was six, she learned that not all children get to celebrate their birthdays. She was shocked. In her world, birthdays meant cake, balloons, and celebrating. The idea that some kids didn’t have that was upsetting to her, so she came up with: Charli’s Birthday Boxes.

Her goal was simple. 

For her 7th birthday, she wanted to create 100 boxes, each one filled with cake mix, icing, sprinkles, balloons, and a foil pan, everything a child would need to have a small birthday celebration. We partnered with our local food bank, which agreed to distribute the boxes to families in need across our area.

But what makes me most proud: Charli didn’t just come up with the idea—she took charge.

It would’ve been easy to slap Charli’s name on the project and do the work myself, but what would she have learned? Instead, she took full ownership. She filmed a video (with her six-year-old charm), signed letters, and helped deliver them. When donations arrived, she sorted every item. Her goal was 100 birthday boxes; she ended up making over 200.

The next year, her little sister Andi joined in, and now it’s a full family effort. Each spring, our living room becomes a birthday box assembly line, and our hallway turns into a mini warehouse. It’s the best kind of chaos.

This didn’t happen by accident. Since they were toddlers, we’ve shown our girls what giving back looks like, assembling sandwiches, donating toys, volunteering, and helping neighbors. We talk about gratitude, give tzedakah, and read stories about kindness. These acts don’t have to be big or perfect; they just have to be consistent. That’s how the values stick.

We try to connect actions to meaning. 

When we donate clothes, we talk about why others need them. When we deliver food, we talk about community. The conversations are often deep and sometimes silly, but they matter. That’s where the seeds are planted.

One of the most powerful ways to teach Tikkun Olam is to live it. When kids see you give, volunteer, and show up for others, it becomes part of their inner compass, just another part of daily life, like brushing their teeth.

Giving money matters; tzedakah is central to Jewish life. But time and energy matter too. A five-year-old can’t write a check, but they can pack snack bags. A first grader may not grasp inequality, but they understand how it feels to help someone else feel celebrated.

As Charli and Andi grow, I’m starting to see the impact of these experiences. 

They notice when they see homeless individuals sleeping under awnings.  They ask questions.  Most importantly, they recognize when someone needs help and they look for ways to offer it. That, to me, is the heart of Tikkun Olam. 

So to the parents and grandparents wondering how to teach young kids about healing the world, just start small. Let your kids drop off a donation. Make a card with them. Talk about kindness. Or cook a meal together for a friend in need. It doesn’t have to be perfect. It just has to be present.

Because when we teach our kids that their hands, hearts, and voices matter, we’re not just raising good people, we’re raising changemakers. One birthday box, sandwich bag, or kind word at a time.