IV. Special Agents/Individual And Anonymous Support V. For Kids, About Kids, and By Kids

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IV. Special Agents/Individual And Anonymous Support ($18,928.54)

Being “Sheluchay Mitzvah/Mitzvah Messengers” is one of the most exciting and rewarding parts of Ziv work. Frequently, we are able to appoint others we designate as “agents” to do this work. A Ziv agent works on the frontlines of Tzedakah on our behalf. They are our eyes and ears. In an agent’s hands, our funds may go to very basic necessities: perhaps a health crisis, emergency food or shelter, or a modest educational endeavor. The impact is profound. This is where we can really make a difference.  

Front-line Mitzvah work this year included:

• A family was able to save its home from foreclosure.

• Support for two young men who were critically injured in a fire.

• Two children were able to enjoy a Jewish day camp experience despite their parents’ dire financial situation.

• Refugees from a war-torn nation were provided with the means to obtain visas and migrate to the United States.

• An elderly couple was provided with the funds needed to replace their broken refrigerator.

• When both parents in a young family needed to be hospitalized, overdue utilities were paid and holiday gifts purchased for the youngsters.

• Warm winter coats were purchased for several children relocated from the warm Caribbean.

This is what Ziv is all about.

V. For Kids, About Kids, and By Kids (Including College Kids)

A revolution is taking place in our nation’s religious schools and day schools. Five years ago, we would receive an occasional call from the parent of an upcoming Bar or Bat Mitzvah seeking advice about how to put more meaning into their upcoming Simcha. Today, these calls are a weekly occurrence. If we could track the number of pounds of food gathered, children’s books donated, baseball caps painted for people with cancer, stuffed animals collected, or dollars donated, we would be astounded.

The kids’ creativity is amazing. There are many examples, and not all of them relate to the Bar or Bat Mitzvah celebration. Read on for some particularly exciting stories.

A. It’s All In A Day’s Work ($3,356.12)

The kids at Broad Meadows Middle School in Quincy, Massachusetts are still at it.

They have mobilized their efforts to end child slavery throughout the world. Their inspiration was Iqbal Masih, a young Pakistani who was released from child slavery and then spoke out publicly against such practices. Shortly after hearing Iqbal’s presentation at their school, the students learned that he had been murdered back home, presumably by the carpet factory owners from whom he had escaped. Heeding Iqbal’s belief that education was a key weapon against child slavery, the kids pledged to raise $150,000 to build a school in Iqbal’s village.

The school is now built (and they have also raised funds for a part-time nurse on the site), and their work continues. As one of the founding schools of “Operation Days’ Work” — a national program run by students in 31 schools in 16 states, sponsored by the United States Agency for International Development-USAID — the Broad Meadows students continue the fight. After the kids select a developing country to aid during the school year, the process starts with the specific goal of helping children in that country to help themselves. Throughout the process, the Broad Meadow kids, led by Ron Adams, their dedicated teacher/advisor, make their own decisions by democratic process and then raise the funds to totally finance the chosen project in many different ways. In the spring, they raise money through ONE DAY’S WORK of “sponsored community service” projects. Sponsors pledge students for each hour of community service completed, usually at $5.25 (minimum wage) per hour. Students develop the actual projects themselves.

Our grants have underwritten several equipment and stationery needs, the never-ending telephone bills, postage, and travel expenses. It seems that these kids are really in demand. They have spoken at the Harvard School of Business, the United States Congress, the United Nations and before other prestigious groups throughout the country. We stand in awe of what they have accomplished.

[A School for Iqbal, c/o Ron Adams, Broad Meadows Middle School, 50 Calvin Rd., Quincy, MA  02169, 617-984-8723, ronadams2@aol.com, www.digitalrag.com/iqbal.]

B. The Ultimate Bar Mitzvah Project ($250)

What started as a Bar Mitzvah project has changed the way one state handles food recovery. Eight years ago David Levitt convinced his local school board to retrieve leftovers from the lunchroom. Today — more than 1,000,000 pounds later — David’s efforts have resulted in a state law that mandates retrieval of leftovers from all public schools in the state of Florida. We publicize his Mitzvah work as the premier example of the power our youth have to bring about change in the world.

A recent note from David’s Mom (David is now a freshman at the University of Florida) alerted us to a new piece of proposed legislation that will further support David’s original idea. It is to be named the “David Levitt School Food Anti-Hunger Act of 2001.”

[David Levitt, 9603 108th Ave. N., Largo, FL  33773, 727-398-1766, celebrate9@aol.com, at the Giraffe Project website — www.giraffe.org/giraffe/levitt.htm.  Contributions made out to: “Help for the Harvest,” to be sent to David at the address listed.]

C. What’s For Dinner? ($550)

Established and managed by members of the student body at the Hebrew Union College-Jewish Institute of Religion New York City campus, the HUC soup kitchen provides an excellent introduction to Tikkun Olam social action for future rabbis, cantors and Jewish educators. Each Monday evening, the soup kitchen serves dinner to homeless people in the school’s general geographic area. The evening ends with relevant Torah study, giving even greater meaning to the most-basic-of-all Mitzvahs Feeding Hungry People. Our donation was used to purchase warm winter gloves that were distributed during the holidays.

[HUC-JIR Soup Kitchen, c/o Rabbi Aaron Panken, Brookdale Center, 1 W. 4th St., NY, NY 10012, 212-674-5300, apanken@huc.edu.]

Also On Campus: We remind our readers of the many college campuses that have joined in the fight against hunger by donating leftovers from their food services. New York University has signed a contract with their food service, ARAMARK, which mandates that leftovers from all food services and campus events are to be picked up by City Harvest. Contact Gloria Cahill, Director of Community Services (212-998-2439) for information on this type of project.

To locate a food retrieval service in your area, contact America’s Second Harvest, 35 E. Wacker #2000, Chicago, IL 60601, phone: 800-771-2303, fax: 312-263-2303, www.secondharvest.org.

D. Clothing Pantry On Campus ($800)*

Over the past year, students in the Tzedek Program at Columbia University opened their Clothing Pantry. It provides Menschlich clothing for needy people referred by a local social service agency. We are impressed with the professional way this program is being conducted as well as the students’ recognition that everyone be treated with Kavod-Dignity.

[Hillel at Columbia University and Barnard College, Attn: Rabbi Jennie Rosenn, The Kraft Center, 606 W. 115th Street, NY, NY  10025, 212-854-5111, jcr40@columbia.edu.]

E. Building Bridges For Peace ($1,650)

Seeking Common Ground is dedicated to promoting peace in the Middle East. It brings together teen-agers and young adults from diverse backgrounds and teaches them how to understand each other and how to resolve conflict in a non-violent way. This year, Building Bridges for Peace, their summer program, will welcome past participants to meet and discuss the events of the past several months and investigate peaceful solutions to the conflict. In a region where there is little optimism, Seeking Common Ground offers hope and promise.

[Seeking Common Ground, Melodye Feldman, Executive Director, P.O. Box 101958, Denver, CO  80250,  303-698-9368, fax: 698-9764, bbfpeace@aol.com, www.buildingpeace.org.]

F. Seeing The Forest For The Trees ($180)*

It was our pleasure to meet Andy Lipkis, the founder of TreePeople, at our Mitzvah Heroes conference in Los Angeles last Spring. While still a college student, Andy learned that an enormous number of saplings were about to be destroyed. He immediately rescued them and planted them on California’s hillsides. TreePeople is dedicated to preserving Los Angeles’ environment and educating its residents in conservation.

[TreePeople, Andy Lipkis, 12601 Mulholland Drive, Beverly Hills, CA 90210, 818-753-4600, fax: 753-4625, info@treepeople.org, www.treepeople.org.]

G. Mitzvah Makers ($330)*

We are impressed by the fine programs conducted by this energetic all-teen program. Mitzvah Makers are a dedicated bunch of kids who devote their time throughout the year to many community-wide Mitzvah programs. We underwrote some costs associated with their Teen Mitzvah Day — a day-long program which offered 36 different projects for teen involvement. 

[Mitzvah Makers, Cathie Izen, Rockland YM-YWHA, 900 Route 45, New City, NY 10956, 845-362-4400 x 103, fax: 362-5107.] 

Mitzvah Haircuts: We remind you of the work being done by Locks of Love, an organization that provides hairpieces for children who have permanent hair loss due to a medical condition. Learn how you can donate your own hair for this very special Mitzvah.

[Locks of Love, 1640 South Congress Ave., #104, Palm Springs, FL 33461, attn: Jennifer Cox, 561-963-1677, fax: 963-9914, info@locksoflove.org, www.locksoflove.org.]

H. Amy’s Party ($100)

This is part of an e-mail we received from Amy Sacks, a 16-year-old student in Atlanta who has held three successful holiday parties for homeless kids. We think it tells her story perfectly. 

I just wanted to write you and tell you about the holiday party. It went soooo well. It was the biggest ever and I raised so much more money this year for it. There were about 400 people there total, children and adults. At least that’s the rough number they could give me at the time… and I raised about $6000! There was not one toy left over after the party. They took everything and it all worked out so well...my next project will be finding a new building to have it in next year since we definitely grew out of this one!

[Amy Sacks, 4 Ascot Manor, Atlanta GA 30327, 770-953-8198, amysacks@hotmail.com.]

I. Off The Wall ($500)

Groundswell Community Mural Projects encourages community activism by local residents (mostly youth). Using their artistic talents, they design and paint murals which not only beautify the local neighborhood but also instruct them in how to affect positive community change. Our contribution was used to buy paints and other materials.

[Groundswell Community Mural Projects, Inc., Amy Sananman, Executive Director, 231 11th Street #2, Brooklyn, NY, 11215, phone/fax:718-965-9475, director@groundswellmural.org, www.groundswellmural.org.]

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