A Unique Mitzvah Twinning Program Designed

to Engage Young Families in Doing Tzedakah

on Behalf of Holocaust Victims

Heart & Hand Tzedakah Twinning program

If you don’t remember them then who will?

A Unique Mitzvah Twinning Program Designed to Engage Young

Families in Doing Tzdekah on Behalf of Holocaust Victims

designed for families with children, ages 5-13

Blending a Beautiful Tradition With Powerful Acts of Charity and Kindness

The Lev V'Yad (Heart & Hand) Tzedkah project pushes back the timeline for Bnei/Bnot Mitzvah

Holocaust-era victims twinning projects to engage young families in dedicating their tzedekah

activities in memory - on behalf of one of the 1.5 million children killed in the Holocaust.

Why on behalf of…According to tradition, because those

who have died can no longer perform good deeds (mitzvots)

on their own they must rely on the living to perform acts of

kindness (chesed) and charity (tzedakah) on their behalf.

Our actions on their behalf help elevate their souls

(neshamot) in their journeys through the next world.

Connecting The Past

To The Present...

With just a penny a day, a quarter a week, the practice of

giving charity becomes embedded both in school and at

home. Over time, children learn by doing and by the

example set by their parents.

The Early Years. Parents of children, ages 5-10, are

provided with the name of a young person who was

killed in the Holocaust, along with a short biography and photo. For families with a direct

connection to the Holocaust, the memories of their relatives would be honored through the

Lev V’Yad Tzedakah program.

These precious pieces of history are kept with the family’s tzedakah box. Handmade

tzedakah boxes made from recycled materials will be available for purchase, though families

may choose to create their own Tzedakah box or use one crafted by the child in school using

recycled materials to impart another important lesson in Tikkun Olam.

While the family’s charitable giving is done on behalf of their Holocaust-era twin,

during the pre-school and elementary school years the details of the young

Holocaust victim's life are known only to the parents.

COURTESY OF AREL MISHORY

Giving from the Heart

Doing with Your Hands

Throughout the early childhood and elementary school years

students become involved in fundraising drives, collecting pennies,

coats, toys and canned food through their schools, student council

and parent groups. Each opportunity for doing tzedakah helps to

further embed these important lessons in "doing for others" as part

of their Jewish identity.

As children grow they participate

more fully in giving and doing,

helping in the donation decision-

making process and taking

leadership roles in fundraising

projects at home, and at school.

These early entrepreneurial expressions represent an important transformation

as children come to better understand the needs of others.

Tzedakah & Tzedek - A Common Root

A Common Path to Righteousness and Justice

School curriculum and independent reading projects routinely introduce

students in grades 4+ to the heroic and courageous acts of the "Righteous

Among the Nations" (Chassidey Umot HaOlam). According to Yad Vashem,

more than 24,000 men and women from 45 different countries (not

including individuals from various resistance groups) risked their lives, and

often times that of their families, to help rescue Jews during the Holocaust.

True beacons of hope amidst one of Mankind’s darkest periods...

Finding meaningful entries to learning about the Holocaust can be challenging,

but by juxtaposing the moral courage of the Righteous in saving lives to the

deaths of 6 million Jewish men, women and children Holocaust offers each of us

hope and an embedded call to action to stand up for others.

Why learn about the Righteous? In the ritual practice of giving, of doing

righteous acts we find a common root for the Hebrew words: righteous,

justice and charity. If we are to find role models, past or present, there

are perhaps none more deserving of our respect and behavior modeling

than the "Righteous among the Nations" - the brave men and women

who risked their lives to help others during the Holocaust.

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oscar schindler � sister alfonsja �

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Over time, and as deemed developmentally-appropriate, the Holocaust-era child is

"introduced" to the whole family, the details of their life and death shared, and the beautiful

mitzvah the family has undertaken on behalf of the child explained.

The connection to the past is brought forward to the present in the Bnei/B'not Mitzvah years

as celebrants honor the memory of their Holocaust twin by sharing their good fortune with

others less fortunate. In so doing, the name of one of the 1.5 million children killed in the

Holocaust is remembered and tzedakah given on their behalf.

Lev V’Yad...with an open heart and hand, celebrants can also extend their twinning to

include the names of victims of other genocides or to twin with an orphan or abused child

whose young life has been touched by pain or tragedy. Families and Bar/Bat celebrants

can join the Lev V’Yad program at any time, including during the year spent preparing for

their Bar/Bat Mitzvahs.

Why a Family Twinning project? To help embed the memory of the

Holocaust for all generations, and through these efforts honor the

memory of each of the 1.5 million children killed in the Holocaust so

that they will never be forgotten.

Preserving 1,500,000 Memories

One Child - One Family at a Time

Bar & Bat Mitzvah Twinning

Preserving Their Memory

Jean Pierre Lambert was born in Paris on December 19, 1935 to Joseph (Claude) and Marianne. Prior to WWII he lived in

Paris, France. During the war he was in Paris. Jean was deported on November 20, 1943 and murdered on November 25,

1943 in Auschwitz. Jean’s parents Claude and Marianne, along with his brother Gerard and sister Francine were also killed.

Hana Borensztejn was born in Warszawa in 1923 to Moshe and Lea. She was a pupil. During the war she was in the Warsaw

ghetto. Hana was murdered in 1942 in Treblinka, Poland at the age of 19.

Haia Faer was born in Beltz in October 1935 to Haim and Ruhlea. Prior to WWII she lived in Falesti, Romania. During the war she was

in Litvinov (Kolkhoz), Russia (USSR). Haia was murdered in November 1943.

Nathan Lustman was born in Lodz in 1934 to Simha and Hana. Prior to WWII he lived in Lodz, Poland. During the war he was in Lodz,

Poland. Nathan was murdered in 1944 in Auschwitz, Camp.

Eva Weksberg was born in Moravska Ostrava in 1934 to Bubi and Iuli. Prior to WWII she lived in Moravska Ostrava, Czechoslovakia.

Eva was murdered in the Shoah.

Frania (Felicie) Rajter was born in Villerupt, France on December 31, 1931 to Majlech (Simon) and Mania. Prior to WWII she lived in

Villerupt. During the war she was in the Drancy internment camp. Frania was murdered on September 16, 1942 in Germany.

Touwia Polinowski was born in Paris in 1928 to Soil and Vera (nee Nudel). Prior to WWII he lived in Livry Gargan, France. Touwia was

murdered 11/11/1942 in Auschwitz, Poland. This information is based on Pages of Testimony submitted by his brother Mendel

Polinowski and father Shaul (Soil).

Severin Regenweter was born in Lodz on January 16, 1934 to Heniek and Zelda. He was a child. Prior to WWII he lived in Lodz, Poland.

Severin was murdered in the Shoah.

Moshe Drajer was born in Warsaw in January 1926 to Avraham and Pesa. Prior to WWII he lived in Warsaw, Poland. Moshe was

murdered in 1943 in the Warsaw ghetto.

Josef Weissler was born in Nikolai in 1937 to Alfred and Alice. Prior to WWII he lived in Nikolai, Poland. During the war he was in

Auschwitz Camp. Josef was murdered in the Shoah.

Fruma Katz was born to Barukh Khana in 1935 in Kazan Tatarskaya Assr, Russia. During the war she was in Telenesti, Romania.

Fruma was murdered in the Shoah.

Antoinette Denneboom was born in Harbrinkhoek on January 10, 1937 to Elie and Frederika. Prior to WWII she lived in Harbrinkhoek,

Netherlands. During the war she was in Amsterdam. Antoinette was murdered in Auschwitz.

Irma Grin was born in Poland in 1936 to Hersh and Sara. Prior to WWII she lived in Sosnowic, Poland. Irma was murdered in Sosnowic.

Hana

Haia

Nathan

Frania

Eva

Touwia

Severin

Moshe

Josef

Fruma

Antoinette

Irma

Jean Pierre Lambert

Remembering the Past

Acting on the Present

As part of their Bar/Bat Mitzvah preparation, young people participating in the Lev V'Yad

Tzedekah project would create a tribute piece to honor the memory, the life of their

Holocaust-era twin, telling their story while at the same time reflecting on contemporary

issues of discrimination, hate, bigotry and genocide. Whenever possible (and for as long as it

is possible), the program would pair Bar/Bat Mitzvah celebrants with a local survivor mentor.

Projects can on take many creative forms...a brochure, poster, video,

artwork, essay, play or poem which is used to convey their thoughts and

reflections on their "twin." All projects would be placed in an online

gallery as part of the YIZKOR project's ongoing Holocaust remembrance

program, "Remembering the Past - Acting on the Present."

Culminating Ceremony. Within a given

year, the cohort of B'nei/B'not Mitzvah

would also participate in their

community's Yom HaShoah program,

sharing the names of the young people

whose memory they and their family

have honored over the years.

Hana

Haia

Nathan

Frania

Eva

Touwia

Severin

Moshe

Josef

Fruma

Antoinette

Irma

Jean Pierre Lambert

“The Bat Mitzvah twinning project gave Alie a meaningful entre to the Holocaust - a perspective that encompassed both History and people by being able to twin both with a survivor and a young victim.” - Sarah Goldblatt (Alie’s mother) The Lev V’Yad program was inspired by Alie Goldblatt who twinned not only with Eva Dublon, a young Holocaust victim, but also with Holocaust survivor mentor Dr. Rudy Jacobson for her Bat Mitzvah. Like Dr. Jacobson, Eva had been a passenger on board the ill-fated S.S. St. Louis where, they along with over 900 other passengers, were denied refuge by Cuba, the United States and Canada. The ship was forced to return to Europe, where the refugees were sent to four different countries. Rudy and his family were sent to Holland; their quota number came up and were able to escape. Eva and her family were sent to Belgium. On January 8, 1944 Eva, her sister Lore and mother Erna were rounded up and deported from the Mechelen Transit Camp to Auschwitz-Birkenau. Convoy #23 arrived in Auschwitz on January 17, 1944. Only 12 people from the Convoy #23 survived - Eva and her family were not among them. (Alie worked on the project with the assistance of Arde Wandel, and under the auspices of the Sarah and Chaim Neuberger Holocaust Education Centre, UJA Federation of Greater Toronto)

Remembering those we lost...honoring those who survived

through community service, education and remembrance

the YIZKOR project

Lev V'Yad Tzedekah program

198 S. Holly Street

Denver, Colorado 80246

phone: 720.560.0271

website: www.theYIZKORproject.org

email: tami@theYIZKORproject.org

the YIZKOR project is a registered Colorado-based 501(c)3 non-profit organization

Contributions to the organization are tax-deductible to the extent permitted by law