Nili Rothenberg and Abby Herman, both sixth graders at Yeshivat Noam, have been best friends for years, so when they started thinking about ideas for a chesed project for their bat mitzvahs, it was only natural for them to brainstorm together. The girls tried to come up with something unique, and together with their moms, Tamar Rothenberg and Yael Herman, they landed on an original idea that could raise money and fill a need—and Shabbounty was born.

As the Shabbounty girls, Nili and Abby provide pre-ripped paper towels for use over Shabbat and Yom Tov for a small fee of $5 per package. The money raised goes to benefit Zichron Menachem, a non-profit organization in Israel for the support of children with cancer and their families.

The girls were already familiar with Zichron Menachem through some girls they knew who had donated their hair to the organization—Abby has donated her own hair twice. “They were very inspired by all the amazing work that Zichron Menachem does for sick children. They knew that if they joined together and donated to one charity, it would double the impact,” shared Yael.

To concretize the results of their efforts, the Shabbounty advertising flier states that “every $5 package of Shabbounty will fund one specialized blood kit, a simple and painless way for children at Zichron Menachem to have their blood drawn by doctors.” When donating to any tzedaka, it’s gratifying to see exactly where the money is going and how it is making a difference.

The “Quicker Ripper Uppers” began their sales efforts in August before Nili’s bat mitzvah and plan to keep sales going until after Abby’s bat mitzvah in February. So far, they have raised well over $5,000! For local delivery, the girls enlist family members (read: moms) to drive them around Bergen County. Thanks to word of mouth, Shabbounty is in demand as far out as Brooklyn, and though those deliveries require a bit more creativity, the girls are determined.

This past Sukkot, Nili and Abby both visited Israel with their families and, while there, were privileged to get a tour of the Zichron Menachem facility. “They were amazed at the program and the facilities that are provided for sick children as well as their families. It really helped them understand the impact of the tzedaka they were giving,” explained Tamar.

As they say—do one thing and do it well. Though there is high demand for pre-ripped toilet paper among their many clients, Abby and Nili are sticking to paper towels. “No way,” they said. “Maybe for the next chesed project.”

To order, click on the QR code at the bottom of the page, follow @Shabbounty on Instagram (order link in bio) or email [email protected].

By Michal Rosenberg