This is from May 23, 2002 and it was originally entitled "Quilt Shock":
I was recently in the game room at a JCC. On one wall was something called a "Mitzvah Quilt." It was made by some fourth grade class at a Synagogue Sunday School, and it consisted of large square pieces of cloth sewn together in about five rows and five columns. Each piece of cloth depicted a different "mitzvah," and each class-member evidently got to contribute a piece of cloth. About four of them depicted a mitzvah called "Tikkun Olam," which means social-activism. A few were labeled "Tzedaka." Another three or so were devoted to "Bal Tashchit," which, judging from the illustrations, meant protecting the environment. Another one or two were devoted to "Tza'ar Ba'alei Chayim," which I guess meant animal rights. I was puzzled by a number of squares that referred to "Shalom Bayit," but a friend of mine told me that this means giving women equal rights. I think one was called "Celebrate Holidays." Maybe there were another two called "Ma'akhil Re'eivim." You get the idea.
Even though there was some hint of Jewish tradition there (tzedaka is indeed a very important mitzvah), and this whole approach of trying to dress up contemporary themes as Judaism is something I have encountered before, I was still pretty shocked by the relentlessness of it. A few pieces of cloth lacked the obligatory Hebrew phrase and just said something like "Save the earth" or "Be kind to animals." I've heard of a "crazy quilt," but not a politically correct quilt.
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