"''I'm a freak about cutting my hair two inches every other month,'' said a flush-faced Schwartz, a student at Broward Community College. ``But I wanted to grow it out and help others, and I've had my hair short before.''"

"Schwartz was one of more than 1,000 volunteers who made South Florida a better place Sunday at the Cooper City temple's annual Mitzvah Day."

"A mitzvah translates into a good deed in Hebrew. At Temple Beth Emet, congregants gathered to give time, money or in the case of Schwartz, hair."

"''We believe in repairing the world. It's part of our obligation as Jews and members of the South Florida community,'' said Skip Straus, president of the temple."

"Set up like a fair for community service, 40 local and international organizations were at the 16-acre temple campus, 4807 S. Flamingo Rd."

"After joining in prayer, the congregants spread out to the various community service stations at the sprawling 55,000 square-foot temple."

"From giving prom dresses to needy teens to donating barely used toys to sick children, Mitzvah Day had it covered."

"Many of the day's activities included preparing items such as food baskets for Women in Distress or toiletries for the Jubilee Center of South Broward, a feeding program."

"Several temple members wore their heart on their sleeve -- sort of. They walked around with armbands announcing they had donated blood that day. The group aimed for more than 100 pints. The Locks of Love station was among the most anticipated. With $150 scissors, Helene Weinberg, a cosmetologist who does the snipping every year, sheared at least 16 people."

"''Sometimes the people are thrilled. Other times it's kind of hard because the children are in shock,'' Weinberg said. ``But they realize later it's for a good cause.''"

"''I can still put my hair in a bun,'' said a
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