(Courtesy of Yad Leah) In a heartwarming celebration of her bat mitzvah, Olivia Wahrhaftig of Teaneck chose to make a difference in the lives of others at the Yad Leah Pack-for-Israel Experience. Rather than focusing solely on personal festivities, Olivia and her friends and family dedicated their time to packing clothing for families in Israel.
“I chose to have my bat mitzvah with Yad Leah because while it’s fun to get, it’s even better to give,” said Olivia, current sixth grade student at Yeshivat He’atid.
The atmosphere buzzed with excitement and love at the Yad Leah Volunteer Center as each item was carefully examined and prepared for shipment, ensuring that families in Israel would receive much-needed assistance. Not stopping there, Olivia’s commitment to chesed shone through as she and her friends created beautiful cards and special summer gift packages of beach towels and flip flops for bat mitzvah girls in Israel.
Elana Wahrhaftig, Olivia’s mother, explained, “We were looking for a chesed opportunity that was meaningful to honor Olivia’s bat mitzvah and Yad Leah was an obvious choice. Yad Leah has a wonderful hands-on program where the girls were able to sort and pack all kinds of clothing, and then an additional activity where they sent a bat mitzvah girl in Israel a special package just for them. The girls were engaged and participated beautifully. It was a success all around. It was eye opening to see how much hard work and processing goes into the donation of clothing to Israel. Jessica Katz and her team organized an uplifting and informative day where we all felt immersed in the mitzvah while helping those in need.”
“We are inspired by Olivia’s dedication and desire to take her bat mitzvah beyond a standard party and turn this milestone into a day of helping others. Through her dedication to chesed at the Yad Leah Pack-for-Israel Experience, she demonstrated that the joy of celebration can be amplified when it is shared with those in need,” said Yad Leah director, Jessica Katz.
Anyone interested in celebrating a milestone or engaging in meaningful chesed activities with friends and family can contact the Yad Leah office at 973-955-0861 or
[email protected]
