Exclusive Interview with Michelle (the Mom) and Jennifer (the daughter) Blum by 'Inside Our Home' editor, Chava Yelloz

As I've written in the past, mothers and daughters are always dynamic duos – getting tremendous jobs done, giving of themselves and helping those less fortunate. Without a question, Michelle Blum, a mother of 4 from Houston, researched on line and found Lev LaLev on the 'mitzvah market' site. Michelle told us, “I was so impressed and thought this is a worthwhile cause.” She then decided to recommend our Home to her daughter Jennifer's classmates as their joint bat mitzvah project.

Jennifer, now 13, and 7 of her classmates chose a bake sale as their fundraising venture to help the abandoned, abused and neglected girls at the Lev LaLev Home in Netanya. The project progressed from the initial concept to sending out e-mails to not only peers and colleagues from the Emery/Weiner School, an independent Jewish preparatory school that serves grades 6 through 12, but to an extended group of contacts. Posters were created after the girls watched a touching video on the Lev LaLev website that inspired their efforts. They also posted their project on their Facebook pages.

L-R: Sydney Selzer, Sararose Fox, Jennifer Blum, Stephanie Gold, Callie Caress, Francesca Romero  Not pictured: Gaby Danziger Julia Minkowitz Danielle Miller

Michelle Blum went to the manager of her local Houston Kroger Market and asked if the girls could sell their home baked goods in the store's environs. The manager was supportive of the endeavor and allowed them to use the grocery store's foyer to set up their sales. And, because the Bake Sale was conducted during the winter holiday season, Michelle explained that people were generally in a festive mood and many contributed quite generously. A jar was set up on the table for donations, we were told, and some donors took cookies and contributed, while others offered goodly sums without even taking a chocolate chip cookie, brownie or lemon square.

Parents are always proud of their kids who engage in good deeds, but Michelle said, “I'm very ecstatic that Jennifer and her friends helped girls in Israel who are their same age.” She continued by telling us that their hard work on behalf of Lev LaLev made them “...feel good about themselves.” This enthusiastic mom was thrilled to know that because of projects like the one the girls were participating in, kids at the Home in Israel had the opportunity of receiving new dresses, shoes, accessories, having photos taken and most of all, enjoying their very own Bat Mitzvah celebration.

Jennifer is the second of four siblings in the Blum family. Her older brother Jonathan is 14, her younger brother Joshua is 10, and her little sister Jordan is 8. Her hobbies, she interjects during my interview with her mom, are volleyball, art and like most girls, shopping!!! Her favorite subject is history.

We are so pleased and satisfied with Jennifer, her mother Michelle, and the other benevolent girls and their moms, who took their precious spare time and baked and sold goodies to benefit the girls in the Lev LaLev Children's Home – ensuring a beautiful “rite of passage” experience like their American sisters in Houston. Kol ha Kavod, all the honors,  to Jennifer and the other girls from the Emery/Weiner School – Todah Rabbah from all our hearts! 

To help the needy girls in Netanya celebrate their Bat Mitzvahs – DONATE NOW!