“Bayit shelanu” when translated from Hebrew to English means “our house”…but for all of us our house is so much more…it is our home. It is where we share memories, laughs and love. After October 7th, not only did so many Jewish families lose their houses…they lost their homes and their communities. They lost their lives as they knew it.

For my mitzvah project I decided to partner with JNF and "Livnot B’yachad - Build Together" to raise money to help re-build houses and neighborhoods in the Israel Envelope in the south of Israel. Two things that are very important to me are Israel and family. Learning more from JNF about how, as a result of October 7th, those two pieces were torn apart for many families, made me very upset.

Even though I am only 12 years old I have been fortunate enough to visit Israel two times. Each time my favorite part of Israel was spending time with my Israeli family. We could not always communicate perfectly, but it didn’t matter, we just enjoyed spending time together…in a bayit shelanu. My hope for my project is to help the families from the Israel Envelope continue to return to their homes safely, rebuilding not just their physical houses but their homes, so that they can be filled with love, laughter and memories again.

I look forward to celebrating my Bat Mitzvah with my family and community on October 18th, 2025. This is a very important milestone in my life. I can’t believe that it will be only 11 days after the two year anniversary of the horrors of October 7th. I truly agree with JNF’s statement when they say Be the Change You Wish to See in Israel. My hope for my Bat Mitzvah is to be a little piece of that change and help families return to their homes and communities and help to make the Israel Envelope a thriving and flourishing community again.

Please join me in supporting JNF and "Livnot B’yachad - Build Together". See below for a video about this important project.
youtu.be/hGhL-OKCaAE