Episode 5505

	Sesame Street
	Mitzvah Day Mix-Up
Air date	February 13, 2025 (HBO Max); December 8, 2025 (PBS)
Season	Season 55 (2025)
Sponsors	B, 12

Picture	Segment	Description
	COLD OPEN	Elmo is of the belief that he does not have any books to introduce today's theme, but the book right beside him proves him wrong. (First: Episode 5219)
	SCENE 1	Elmo notices that his neighbors are being especially helpful today, and Charlie explains that it's because today is Mitzvah Day at their synagogue. Charlie explains a synagogue to be a temple where Jewish families like hers pray, learn, and celebrate Jewish holidays. Meredith is packing lunches for everyone and explains that a mitzvah is an act of kindness, and Charlie explains that Mitzvah Day is a day for everyone in the synagogue to help each other out on Sesame Street. When Meredith leaves, Charlie shows Elmo her Mitzvah Day project: a little library, to help the neighborhood share books as a way to make the world a kinder place. Charlie explains that she ordered a kit to build one, but it has yet to come in the mail.
	SCENE 1 cont'd	...until Grover arrives with some packages, believing one of them to be for Charlie. When she opens it, however, what comes out are dozens of colorful bouncy balls. It appears the wrong package was sent, and Charlie becomes disappointed. Elmo suggests that their neighborhood friends may have things to build the library. Charlie remembers that her mom helped Alan build new shelves at Hooper's Store last week, so she asks Alan for the wood from the old shelves. Elmo remembers he has paints, and heads for those and more friends to help. Grover agrees to help too, offering to find a place for the library, using a cardboard box as a placeholder.
	SCENE 1 cont'd	Cookie Monster walks in on the work-in-progress library with a cookie cookbook written by Gonger. He puts the book in the library, and Charlie explains that someone else could take it and put in their own book. Cookie Monster feels inspired to help, so Charlie asks if he knows of something they could use as the pointy roof. Cookie Monster pulls up two cookie trays full of cookies and suggests they be used. Charlie thinks Cookie Monster is still using them, but he quickly devours the trays' contents.
	SCENE 1 cont'd	Meanwhile, Grover finds a place for the library and plants his cardboard box right next to Big Bird's nest. Big Bird wanders in and gets the box stuck to his foot.
	SCENE 1 cont'd	Elmo brings in some cans of paint as well as Bert and Ernie, who both offer to help Charlie with her library. Bert has doors from his very first pigeon coop. Ernie asks Charlie how she came up with the idea, and she explains that her Hebrew school teacher was telling the class ways to think of ideas. The teacher told them to think of things they wish were true about their community and find a way to make it true. Charlie wished there were a way for people to share the things they care about with each other. Ernie shows off the books he and Bert brought: Rubber Duckie's Lucky Guppy, a traditional book of bathtime shanties, and the oh-so-heavy The Complete History of Oatmeal.
	SCENE 1 cont'd	Grover has found a new place for the library, this time high up so no one will step in it. They soon realize it's too high, as Elmo is unable to reach it. Big Bird points out that the library should be somewhere everyone can enjoy it. When Grover and Elmo leave, Big Bird realizes he has an idea to help with the library.
	SCENE 1 cont'd	Big Bird shows Charlie a book he made himself, Big Bird's Big Book of Big Birds, containing an ostrich, cassowary, emu, and of course, himself. Grover arrives, saying he found the perfect place for the library. It is low enough to reach but no one will bump into it... because he hid it. Big Bird points out that if he hides the library, no one will be able to get the books. Grover gets frustrated, but Charlie suggests they put the library next to the community mural, and Grover immediately takes credit for the idea.
	SCENE 1 cont'd	At the mural, Abby shows off her post with climbing vines which can be used to hold up the library. Meredith arrives and places the finished library atop the post, and Elmo recounts how everyone pitched in to help build it. He points out how the flowers have Rosita's guitar picks as petals, Tamir's circuit boards as the center, Ji-Young's electric guitar strings as the stem, and Oscar's tin foil as the leaves. Charlie explains that Jewish people believe in tikkun olam, which means that everyone can do a little to help make the world a better place. The whole neighborhood then joins for the grand opening and shouts, "Happy Mitzvah Day!".
	Insert	Celebrating Me, Celebrating You, Celebrating Us! Elmo rides his trike down the block and hears a song coming on... (First: Episode 5104)
	Muppets	The Sesame Street friends dance and sing waiting to discover which letter will be the letter of the day. Today, it's B.
	Cartoon	"B is for Books" (First: Episode 5219) The beginning is slightly edited, causing the audio and visuals to be out of sync.
	Insert	Rosita and Tamir share their favorite books with Elmo. Rosita's favorite is a volume containing stories from countries all around the world, while Tamir's is about a group of friends on an outer space adventure. They hear Cookie Monster's Foodie Truck approaching ... (First: Episode 5316)
	Muppets	Cookie Monster's Foodie Truck A young, Native American girl contacts the Monster Foodies, ordering some succotash (like the character in her book eats). Cookie Monster and Gonger find they have all they need, except the onions that Cookie has already eaten (giving him halitosis). Gonger feeds him a mint and directs them to the farm to get an onion. (First: Episode 4813)
	Muppets	Elmo sings and dances with Tango as she retrieves toys for the number of the day. Today, she brings twelve.
	Muppets	Elmo's World: Books (First: Episode 4728)
	SCENE 2	Charlie emphasizes that the library was able to be built in time because everybody helped out. This leads to Grover asking if he is an "everybody" and gets excited to learn he helped. As the three say goodbye, a Honker and an AM arrive to exchange books at the library.