BLOOMINGTON - Four members of Moses Montefiore Temple began repairing the world Sunday by repairing Illinois State University's Autism Service building.

The temple members spent the afternoon spackling holes, cleaning windows and staining furniture at the center operated by ISU's department of psychology.

The activity was one of a number of good deeds performed Sunday across the Bloomington-Normal community in observation of the temple's sixth annual Mitzvah Day.

Mitzvah Day has been celebrated in Reform Judaism for 18 years as a day dedicated to performing mitzvot, or good deeds, to repair the world (tikkun olam).

"It was nice to get out into the community and offer help to people who are in need," said Mark Pressburger of Normal, who spent the afternoon staining a vanity in a toy-filled room at the center.

Another group to lend the community a hand was the temple's children's choir. Twenty singers from the choir performed at retirement homes Blair House and Evergreen Place Assisted Living in Normal and Heritage Manor in Bloomington. The choir delivered cards to temple members living at the homes.

"My husband was thrilled when people came to sing to him," said Sharon Shattan of Bloomington, whose husband, Samuel, resides in the Legacy Unit of Heritage Manor.

Back at Moses Montefiore, a group assembled 100 "Life Books" to give to the Baby Fold, an agency in Normal which provides residential, special education, child welfare and family support services to children and families in Central Illinois. The books came with markers, crayons, stickers and papers, which children could use to chronicle their lives.

"Most parents make those things for their kids, so it's great the Baby Fold is working on that kind of project," said Myra Gordon, member of the Moses Montefiore's social action committee, which organized the day's activities.

Temple members also used collected items to assemble welcome bags for children seeking help at Neville House, a Bloomington shelter for women and children fleeing abuse. A typical bag contained a stuffed toy puppy, a children's book and snacks.

The temple's youth group of high-school-age teenagers, kicked off their oral history project by getting interviewing tips from Susan Hartzold, curator of the McLean County Museum of History. The group intends to interview several elder members of the county's Jewish community about their experiences in the county, transcribe their recordings and donate the scripts to the museum.

Hartzold warned them not to ask leading questions, and suggested they ask, "When did you join the temple?" and, "What was it like when you came?"

When she told the teenagers, "You can delve into whatever you want to," the teenagers seemed intrigued.

"Hmmm" they all said to each other with smiles.

"The sooner you transcribe it the better, because it's fresh," Hartzold told the five aspiring archivists.

In the morning, some members baked treats for dogs and cats housed at Central Illinois Small Animal Rescue, which rehabilitates abandoned and abused animals. Later in the day, temple member Lisa Jane Kroutil of Bloomington whipped up several cakes for Clare House food pantry with the assistance of 9-year-old Ally Sussman and her friend, Pooja Kantamneni, 10. Ally, a former member of the temple currently living in Mahomet, returned to Bloomington just to perform mitzvot.

"What can we do?" Ally asked eagerly. "Can I mix?"