Students at JKHA/RKYHS and a younger sibling, all of whom ranged in age from four through 16, a JKHA/RKYHS alumna and a JKHA faculty member each donated a minimum of eight inches of their hair to Pantene Beautiful Lengths to create free, real-hair wigs for women with cancer. The event, organized by RKYHS junior Rose Ginsberg, was held on the last day of Chanukah in order to bring to life the idea that giving is equally as important as receiving. The participants made the decision to donate their hair together as a group, each supporting the other as they donated their hair to women who have, unfortunately, lost theirs to cancer.

For women, the emotional attachment to hair goes much further than the aesthetic purpose. “Every woman’s hair represents an irreplaceable part of her,” commented Ginsberg. “Hair loss is so devastating because on top of going through a difficult time in their lives, these women are essentially losing a part of themselves. We wanted to help each woman gain a piece of herself back by donating as much hair as possible while doing one of the greatest charities imaginable, giving a part of ourselves to someone else.“

The girls who donated their hair are: Thea Gardin (kindergarten), Elizabeth Rubin (sixth grade), Hannah Ginsberg (eighth grade), Nina Kahn (11th grade), Olivia Plotsker (12th grade), Becky Weisberg (10th grade), Eliana Tajfel (ninth grade), Emily Yarkony (JKHA ‘11/RKYHS ‘15), Aviva Luxenberg (seventh grade), Annie Orbach (age 4), and Morah Kayla Blumen. Merav Stern and Betsy Yarkony donated their time and haircutting skills.