Emily's Pennies
Emily Dubois, a 17-year-old high school student in Palo Alto, California, had a tzedakah project idea so compelling that she inspired thousands to get involved. Emily was moved by the memory of the children lost during the Holocaust, so she decided to gather 1.5 million pennies to represent the children who lost their lives, and to give the money to families who have been affected by terrorism.
Gary Rosenthal bought one thousand of Emily's pennies for $1 each and invited Emily to fly to our studio in Maryland to perform a very special Hiddur Mitzvah Project. She helped Gary melt the pennies down with a torch and transform them into an eternal light, which we will donate to a congregation in the former Soviet Union. We will also donate a Torah to occupy the ark under the eternal light, and substantial funds for the Torah education of young European children who might study in sanctuaries reclaimed from the Nazis.
Through your generous donations or purchase of Hiddur Mitzvah Project torah pointer materials, we will be able to complete the wonderful project we started in the summer of 2004 with our friend Emily. Let this story inspire you to begin your own mitzvah project!
Our thanks to Emily and the many other people who inspire us daily!
To read more, you can visit Emily's Pledge Page.
