September 15th, 2009
Gabrielle Aaron tells us that becoming a Bat Mitzvah means becoming a woman and not only thinking about yourself all the time. It means helping others in your community because you want to. She decided to take a portion of her Bat Mitzvah gift money and buy a piece of playground equipment for Sunrise Day Camp. (The Aaron Family left at playground dedication ceremony).
Gabrielle chose to share her gift money with Sunrise Day Camp because it is special; it is the only day camp in the nation designed for children with cancer. The camps’ programs strive to meet the emotional, social, recreational and physical needs of the children who attend while allowing them to enjoy the comforts and safety of their own homes at night. The camp is situated on the Henry Kaufmann Campgrounds, a 300-acre wooded site that borders Nassau and Suffolk counties on Long Island. Gabielle tells us in her own words about her project:
I am a kid and I am very fortunate for my good health, and these kids are not as fortunate as I am. I tried to think of what it would be like if I had to miss all my childhood and spend it in a hospital. I was not capable of feeling anything close to what they felt. So I decided to find a place where kids with cancer and life-threatening illnesses can get away and just be a kid. That is how I found Sunrise Day Camp. Sunrise is an amazing place where kids can be kids and all worries seem to disappear.
For Gabrielle’s Mitzvah Project, she took $5,000 and donated it to the Camp so they could purchase a slide for their playground. She also visited Sunrise and planted flowers. Gabrielle and her family recently held a large cocktail party for friends and family who wanted to get involved with Sunrise Day Camp. And Gabrielle plans on working at the Camp in the summer of 2010 as a non-profit counselor. Her goal will always be to help kids.
Gabrielle Aaron with Arnie Preminger, CEO of Friedberg JCC and Sunrise Day Camp
It would be great for other kids to get involved because most kids at my age take their good health for granted and don’t understand the effects of having cancer at such a young age. When you see these kids you would never think that they have cancer, they smile as we do and laugh. But they are only able to do this because they have such a great place where there is nothing to worry about for the summer.
Summer Fun at Sunrise Day Camp
What a great Project and an amazing organization! Thank you, Gabrielle, for sharing your story with our readers. If you are interested in creating a Mitzvah project with Sunrise Day Camp, please contact Amy Pilott, Team Sunrise Director at 516-766-4341 x:161.
September 15th, 2009
Sarah Brotman of Columbia, SC, is giving of herself – literally – for her Mitzvah Project. She is donating her hair, and is encouraging others to do the same.
Sarah has organized a hair collection for those in need of hair due to a medical condition or medical treatment such as chemotherapy. The Hair Donation Extravaganza will take place on Sat., March 7th, 2009 from 9 am to 3 pm at the Wella Professionals School in Columbia, SC. The organizations benefiting from the Extravaganza are Wigs For Kids and Pantene Beautiful Lengths.
The Wella school has agreed to cut and style everyone’s hair at no cost when you donate your tresses. To donate to Wigs For Kids, you need at least 12 inches and to donate to Pantene Beautiful Lengths, you need at least 8 inches of untreated hair.
Sarah tells us, in her own words, why she decided on this particular Mitzvah project and what she hopes to accomplish:
I chose this project because I have lost a few friends to cancer before, and I figured that I should help the cause. I want women and children to feel good about themselves and I love to do Mitzvot! I have already donated my hair once, and felt great about it. Knowing that I was helping somebody to feel good about themselves, was my favorite part of the experience.
Thanks to somebody who donated their hair, my Grandmother got a wig, which lifted her self confidence from 1 to 100. Since I know how it feels to be defeated by cancer, I feel we should show cancer that we can defeat it. By giving people confidence, it enables them to have a more positive outlook.
Doing a Mitzvah Project for my Bat Mitzvah means that I can show I am becoming a woman, instead of just pretending. I want to be different by showing that I am serious about my commitment to Judaism. I plan on being serious about my commitment by doing something that is special to me.
Thank you, Sarah! Let the cutting begin!
September 15th, 2009
Alyssa Fischer of Matthews, NC, likes to swim. She is aware, however, that not everyone is as fortunate as she is; they might not have proper swimming gear like goggles, kick boards or even a bathing suit. So, Alyssa thought she’d do something about it and created a charitable organization called fins for swims.
Alyssa tells us, in her own words, what her organization is all about and what she hopes to accomplish:
I created fins for swims which is an organization that collects used and new swim equipment to distribute to minority swim programs and at-risk children. I want to give these kids the opportunity to grow to their full potential through the world of competitive swimming. I started the project and solicited the backing of some Olympic swimmers who were very happy to jump in and help. I am hoping that kids around the country want to start a fins for swimscollection site in their area to make it grow. I have several adults and other organizations that want to work with me and partner to make it grow.
Several organizations and groups throughout the country will benefit from my project. In each city or state where a fins for swims collection site is set up, local groups will be the recipients of the equipment. Some of the groups include Diversity in Aquatics, The Swimstrong Foundation and Make a Splash, part of USA Swimming. But I hope that many local underprivileged swim programs in neighborhoods and Y’s or J’s will benefit.
I have a few organizations that are helping me and spreading the word. Diversity in Aquatics and The Swimstrong Foundation are two examples. I could always use more people to help get a program started in their community. I have had interest in starting collection sites in FL, NC, NY, VA and NJ. I have requests for equipment from as faraway as theDominican Republic .
Want to dive in? Visit the fins for swims Website to learn more, including how to set up a collection site or where you can send new or used swim equipment. And best wishes to Alyssa, whose Bat Mitzvah is only days away!
September 15th, 2009
Ethan Ausburn of San Antonio, Texas, is hoping that by collecting new and gently used DVD movies for the Christus Santa Rosa Children’s Cancer Unit in San Antonio, he will not only help the hospital’s movie library grow and become more updated, but that in some small way, he will help provide cancer patients and their families with some entertainment while waiting for and receiving treatment. Ethan’s Bar Mitzvah is at the end of February, and he is collecting DVDs to be donated to the hospital through the end of March.
Ethan decided to take on this particular Mitzvah project because so many people in his life have been touched by cancer. As Ethan explains it:
“I have had many people close to me diagnosed with cancer, so it is a project dear to my heart. My cousin, Aaron, was diagnosed with bone cancer last year and spent a year in and out of the hospital undergoing chemotherapy. He is fortunately testing cancer free, but did have to have a bone in his arm removed and replaced with a steel rod. My mom’s friend’s 4-year-old son continues to fight brain cancer a year after it was discovered and deemed inoperable; and my grandmother was just recently diagnosed with breast cancer. Fortunately, doctors caught it early and her outlook is fantastic.”
Ethan has asked friends, classmates and neighbors for donations. He also included a note about his Project in with his Bar Mitzvah invitations. Ethan is excited that the word is spreading. “Many of my friends’ parents are now asking their friends so the project is quickly spreading and growing!” Ethan tells us.
If you are interested in donating any new or gently used DVDs to benefit Ethan’s Mitzvah Project, please contact Ethan’s mom, Leslie, by emailing her at leslie@kometcommunications.com. Thank you!
September 15th, 2009
When Ariel Freedman visited Israel last February, she was struck by the amount of soldiers she saw there and how safe they made her feel. She decided to begin her Mitzvah Project by raising money for the organization A Package From Home.
A Package from Home is an organization that sends packages to combat soldiers in Israel who don’t have family in Israel or who are seriously injured and need long-term care. Funds raised through A Package from Home buys items the soldiers need like jackets, socks, underwear, toiletries, snacks and more. All items are purchased in Israel, which helps boost the Israeli economy.
What makes these packages so special is that each one is accompanied by a handwritten letter. Ariel explains, “The goal of the letter is to strengthen their spirit, and to show him or her how much we appreciate the sacrifices he or she is making in securing the safety and survival of Israel. “
Ariel’s cantor was struck by her commitment to this project and made the letter writing part of the religious school’s curriculum. Ariel went around to each classroom explaining her project, collected all the letters and will send them over with the money she has raised. Her goal is to raise at least $1,000. To raise funds, she is making candy torahs (pictured below) and selling them. When she reached her goal of $1,000 she will be able to “adopt a unit,” which means that every soldier in a specific unit will receive a care package. Ariel is very close to her goal!
Ariel wrapped Smartie like candies
to look like torahs.
She is selling them as a fundraiser.
September 15th, 2009
Thank you to Zak Levenstein of Roslyn, NY, for sharing his Mitzvah Project plans with us. Here is a description of his very moving project, in his own words:
Grownups sometimes think kids are too young to make a real difference in the world. Well, I believe that just one person—any person—especially a kid who is willing to work hard, can make real change and I am going to prove it!
In preparing for my upcoming Bar Mitzvah, I wanted to do a community service project that would be more than just doing it because I have to, but would also mean a lot to me and would have real impact on other kids’ lives. When I did some research about giving music to Israel, I found Youth Renewal Fund, an organization that provides education to disadvantaged children in Israel. Each year, YRF helps more than 6,500 children get the education they need to give themselves a fighting chance for their future. When I saw Ethan Freed’s picture on the Website and learned that YRF is building a new learning center in Ramla, Israel in his memory, I knew supporting this cause was the right thing to do.
Ethan was an amazing kid who I went to camp with. He changed people’s lives every day. Ethan was smart, popular, athletic and funny. He was known for his kindness and generosity to everyone. He had a way of reaching out to kids that he didn’t even know and made them feel like they were part of his special inner circle. Everyone called him “the Peacemaker” because he had a gift of bringing people together. Ethan died at summer camp on July 3, 2006, just a few days before his 13th birthday. It was a very sad day at camp that day. But very quickly, Ethan’s death motivated all of us who knew him to live our lives in the same manner—filled with hope, generosity and kindness, qualities that came so easily to him.
With help from my family and friends, I have organized a special memorial concert that will help build and maintain the Ethan H. Freed Learning Center. The EHF Center will serve more than 5,000 children in a very needy community and will be a tribute to Ethan’s tremendous capacity for generosity and his commitment to learning. The Freed family is working with YRF to establish this new Center as a way to help preserve Ethan’s legacy and pay tribute to his memory.
The concert will feature Julius C, who was crowned “the best band in NYC” in 2006 by the Emergenza International Music Competition. In addition, the band I am in, Juvenile Pariah, will also perform. The concert will be held at The Nutty Irishman, a local pub in Farmingdale, Long Island, on Sunday, February 22, 2009 at 2:00 pm. The event will continue Ethan’s gift of bringing people together.
Editor’s Note: Donations can be sent to: YRF c/o Alison Levenstein, 207 Mineola Avenue, Suite 103, Roslyn Heights, NY 11577.
September 15th, 2009
Danielle Cohen of Jericho, NY, organized a Mitzvah Project that was inspired by her own love of tennis. Danielle collected used tennis racquets and donated them to Project Morry, also known as Morry’s Camp.
“I decided to take on this particular ‘Mitzvah Project’ so I could give back to children who are less fortunate than me,” Danielle explains. “I’m a tennis player and wanted to give other children the chance to play at camp.”
Danielle chose Project Morry as the beneficiary of her Mitzvah Project. Project Morry is a sleep-away camp in White Plains, NY, that was established by Morry Stein. Stein was the owner and director of Camp Echo Lake who died in a plane crash in October 1994. His goal was to give every American child, no matter what his or her economic status, the gift of summer camp.Project Morry is a year-round youth development organization that provides to each child a multi-year commitment anchored by a superb residential summer camp experience.
Danielle recognizes that “good fortune has come to me via my Bat Mitzvah.” She goes on to say, “I wanted to give back and help others during this very special time of entering Jewish adulthood.” Danielle also says she wanted to do this particular project because she wanted the tennis racquets to be used to have fun. We are sure Morry would be proud!
September 15th, 2009
Alyssa Woldar from Muttontown, NY, had her Bat Mitzvah a few weeks ago.. For her Mitzvah Project, Alyssa collected and donated small toys and travel games to Camp Simcha. Here is how Alyssa describes her project:
The purpose of my Mitzvah Project was to perform a mitzvah. A mitzvah is a good deed. I feel that I accomplished this by collecting and donating toys and small travel games for the children of Camp Simcha.
Camp Simcha is a camp that helps children that have a terminal illness, go out and have fun for one or two weeks. They have doctors and medical staff to make sure everyone is taken care of and has a good time. I love helping and working with children so I thought this would be the perfect project for me to do.
I wrote a letter to many toy companies and sadly none were able to help, so I decided to give flyers out to the Hebrew school and tell a lot of my friends and family. My family and I also went out to local toy stores to collect toys for the camp. I collected 120 toys for the camp.
My dad and I went into to NYC to give the toys to one of the camp directors, Levi. He was impressed with all the work I did. He showed me and my dad the office and what goes on to make this camp happen. He also showed us a video on the camp and how much the kids are happy to be out and have fun for a few weeks with the doctors and special help they need. I was really pleased that I was able to contribute something that enriched the time children will spend at Camp Simcha.
My family also has a foundation called the Edwin and Shirley Woldar Family Foundation. In the past, our foundation has contributed and supported Camp Simcha. Our family holds this organization close to our hearts so that is why I chose Camp Simcha as my Mitzvah Project. I am so proud that we support this wonderful organization and my family and I plan to continue to do mitzvahs for Camp Simcha and other well deserving charities.
September 12th, 2009
We are pleased to introduce you to Max Meyer from South Salem, NY. Max had his Bar Mitzvah in Septepmer of 2006. He included this write-up with his invitation:
This year I had the opportunity to spend time with Holocaust survivor Joe Best, the father of a dear family friend. Joe could never bring himself to share his story with anyone (not even with Steven Spielberg when he was filming Schindler’s List). I am honored that Joe chose to sit down with me and relay what he went through, and how his courage and strength got him through such a horrifying experience.
My Mitzvah Project is two-fold. First, I plan to meet with our family friend and her sister to reveal the names of the family they had no prior knowledge of, and to give them a glimpse into what their father’s childhood was like before, during and after the War.
Second, I plan to make a contribution, on behalf of each guest to the Jewish Foundation for the Righteous. The JFR seeks to identify, honor, and support non-Jews who risked their lives to save Jews during the Holocaust. One such gentile, Maria Attenberger, hid Joe Best in her barn in Germany. Joe was forever grateful and never felt that he could repay her for the risk she took. Each contribution I make will be in honor of Joe Best, and in memory of Maria Attenberger.
Joe Best
Joe shared with Max that he never had a Bar Mitzvah considering the hardships he and his family had endured. Max, in turn, shared this with his Rabbi, who suggested Max invite Joe to be “mitzvahed” with Max. The double Bar Mitzvah was a moving and special day for Max, Joe and all of the guests. Max’s Mitzvah Project led to a day that everyone in attendance will never forget.
Learn more about the Jewish Foundation for the Righteous
September 12th, 2009
Paige Gindi of Syosset, NY, designed a Mitzvah Project with the long term in mind. We like the way you think, Paige!
For her Bat Mitzvah, which was held in June of 2007, Paige established the Paige Gindi Charitable Trust. Paige took a portion of the gift money she received from her Bat Mitzvah and placed it in an interest-bearing trust fund. Each year, she can choose a different non-profit organization to donate money to.
To date, Paige has made two donations to two different organizations. The first donation was made to the Guide Dog Foundation, which is an organization that provides guide dogs free of charge to blind people who seek enhanced mobility and independence.
Paige’s second donation was made to theMorgan Center in Plainview, NY, which is an organization dedicated to providing preschool age children who are undergoing treatment for cancer the opportunity to interact and socialize in a safe environment that stimulates cognitive and social development. Children on chemotherapy treatment have a suppressed immune system, and could otherwise risk infection and serious illness by attending typical age appropriate preschool programs.
Paige wanted to set up the Paige Gindi Charitable Trust and give a portion of her Bat Mitzvah gifts because she says it feels great helping others. She also said that if she had kept all of her Bat Mitzvah gifts, rather than giving them away, she would have ended up buying things that were unnecessary.
We love that Paige designed a Mitzvah Project with no end date. Thanks to Paige and all of the guests who attended her Bat Mitzvah, people will benefit from the trust for years to come.
