Dear ,

We are fresh off the heels of Rosh Hashana and Yom Kippur. We are feeling refreshed and ready to start another year. We have enjoyed the first few days of Sukkot, feeling close to friends and family as we bunk outside in our temporary dwellings.

As the days get increasingly shorter and colder, this is the perfect time of year to take every chance we have to brighten someone else’s day …and continue to do so all winter long!

This great video shows how much better you can make even a perfect strangers day. Check out these people who took the time to put a smile on someone else’s face with a simple positive gesture and kind word.

If you saw this platform in your hometown asking you to “say something nice,” what would you say?

Sheena Levi Director of Outreach sheena@levlalev.com

 Help a senior citizen

As the days turn colder, the harder it gets for a senior to run their errands, both in and out of the house. Especially after the summer and Jewish High Holiday season, many elderly people may feel lonely as their extended family members are no longer in town. Volunteer to help an older person in your neighborhood, or even your own grandparents, and keep them company too. If they offer to pay you, consider saying you would prefer that any money go to charity.

Lisa Stein, PA on her talent show fundraiser this month! And we are all invited! Join her on October 14, share your talent and support the music program at the orphanage in Israel. RSVP to sheena@levlalev.com  

Name: Lisa Stein
Town: Allentown, PA
Bat Mitzvah Date: May 2012
Mitzvah Project:
Part 1 – Raising money online for a girl from the Rubin-Zeffren home to have a Bat Mitzvah celebration
Part 2 – Talent Show to raise money for the music program at the girls’ home

Tell us a little about yourself
I am 13 years old. I play the cello and sing and love music! I have an older brother who is starting college. He’s a great violinist, and we enjoy playing music together, especially at erev Shabbat services at our synagogue. In school, I enjoy orchestra, math, creative writing and working with my school’s TV station. I also like to ride my bicycle with my Dad and take photos with my Mom.

How did you decide to take on this particular project for Lev LaLev?
When searching for a mitzvah project, I was sure that I wanted to pick a project that somehow related to helping other children. My family had been buying Rosh Hashanah cards from Lev LaLev. When writing one of the cards and admiring the beautiful drawing on the front of the card, I asked my mom who had drawn it. She said a child probably the same age as me or younger had created the artwork; I was surprised and intrigued.

I looked at the Lev LaLev website and found tons of information about the orphanage. Most of the girls there were abused and did not feel safe at home. Lev LaLev takes them in as their own, and the girls are finally able to feel happy and secure in their new home. One of the many interesting facts that I found is that a Bat Mitzvah can be sponsored. Everything fell into place; I wanted to help another child, and the girls at this orphanage do not get the privilege of a Bat Mitzvah ceremony and celebration as I do.

What was the most meaningful part of doing this Mitzvah Project for your Bat Mitzvah?
It was seeing the pure happiness on the Bat Mitzvah girls’ face when Sheena sent me pictures from her celebration. As soon as I saw her joy, I knew I had helped make a change in her life.

Please share any details or fond memories of your Mitzvah Project and Bat Mitzvah.
I was amazed that the donations kept pouring in relatively constantly, and I was really able to raise more than $1,800. I enjoyed being lifted up in a chair during my celebration on Saturday night and then seeing a picture of my Bat Mitzvah twin being lifted up in a chair during her celebration. I also loved seeing so many of my friends and family at my services and party.  

What are your plans for the future, i.e. life after Bat Mitzvah?
I am going to host the talent show in October to raise some money for the music program at the orphanage. From there on, I hope to continue my Jewish lifestyle and raise money for important causes. 

Anything else you would like to share about your experience with Lev LaLev, Bat Mitzvah or Mitzvah Project?
Sheena and Chavi have been so supportive and sweet throughout the whole experience, so if you have any questions about your project, contact them!

Please share your advice for a girl looking into doing a Mitzvah Project for her Bat Mitzvah.

October survival tip: Think of others first

While you may never forget a humiliating moment in your life, others most certainly will. Most people are so focused on how others perceive them, that they forget that everyone else is worried about the same thing! Rather than dwell on something only you would notice, go up and tell someone else how much you like the way they did their hair, that you liked the answer they gave in class, how awesome the sets they painted looked in the school play.

 Lev LaLev Fund
14 Melnick Drive
Monsey, NY 10952
www.LevLaLev.com