More than 800 children walked out of Temple Beth Shalom in Livingston on Aug. 3 carrying brand-new backpacks, winter coats and sneakers they picked out themselves.
Tovah, the Roseland-based nonprofit formerly known as NCJW/Essex, hosted its 18th annual Back 2 School Store at the synagogue for the second consecutive year. The event paired each child entering kindergarten through fifth grade with a volunteer "personal shopper" who guided them through rows of clothing, shoes and supplies without parents steering the choices or worrying about cost.
Every child left with a new shirt and pants, sneakers, a winter coat, hats and gloves, a week's worth of underwear and socks, personal care items, books and a backpack stuffed with school supplies. All items were brand new and free. The National Retail Federation estimates it costs roughly $1,000 to get one child ready for school, according to Tovah's website.
More than 300 volunteers staffed the event, which Patch reported drew children from across Essex County. Nearly 35 social service agencies, community groups and religious organizations worked with Tovah throughout the year to identify and register families.
While children shopped, parents and caregivers visited the Gaelen Family Resource Center, where more than a dozen agencies offered vision, glucose and cholesterol screenings, voter registration, SNAP benefits information and fresh produce. Each family also received a grocery gift card and menstrual products.
"One of the most important parts of the Back 2 School Store is to create an environment where kids feel confident and empowered," Tovah president Lauren Tabak Fass said. "For our volunteers, it is so exciting to see the smile on a child's face when they discover an item in their favorite color, slip it on and know that it is theirs to take home."
Leslie Dorman and Debbie Kirchen co-chaired the 2026 steering committee. Caitlin Higgins Joy, Tovah's executive director, called the store the organization's biggest annual volunteer event.
As a sendoff, every child got an ice cream donated by a Tovah member and her family.
Tovah officially adopted its new name on June 1 after operating for decades as the National Council of Jewish Women, Essex County Section. The Back 2 School Store is an annual summer event; the next edition is expected in summer 2027.
Upcoming community events:
- Aug. 11 — Public hearing on Millburn's revised residential floor area ratio rules
- Aug. 16 — Livingston Library's Tiny Art Show, with painting and public voting
- Aug. 18 — Free blood pressure seminar at Millburn Public Library
