Students, faculty and parents from the San Diego Jewish Academy broke the Guinness World Record for most sandwiches made in under three minutes, all of which were donated to San Diego’s Alpha Project, an organization dedicated to helping the homeless achieve self-sufficiency. Photo: Courtesy.

JNS.org – Students, faculty and parents from the San Diego Jewish Academy broke the Guinness World Record for most sandwiches made in under three minutes, all of which were donated to San Diego’s Alpha Project, an organization dedicated to helping the homeless change their lives and achieve self-sufficiency.

The school has to wait up to 12 weeks for Guinness to certify its new record of 868 sandwiches made. The previous record was 490.

Representatives from the Alpha Project were at the event to provide education on the challenges of homelessness in the local community.

The Jewish value of tikkun olam, “the repair of the world,” is a vital part of the Blue Ribbon school’s programming and educating students about the importance of helping others. San Diego Jewish Academy’s hands-on approach maintains student engagement in tzedakah and social justice.

“Alpha Project would like to thank the San Diego Jewish Academy for providing sandwiches to our clients in need. We will be distributing these to our homeless residents in the temporary bridge shelter, as well as to our clients living on the streets. This support is greatly appreciated and it is a blessing,” commented president and CEO Bob McElroy.

“These types of experiences not only bring together our school community, but help connect Jewish values and teachings to students’ everyday life,” said Chaim Heller, head of school at San Diego Jewish Academy. “Everyone can make a sandwich to help those in need. We want our students to see themselves as leaders who can make a difference in people’s lives.”