by Alexa Miano, University of Hartford Communications Intern
6th grader Julia S. heard about the tragic shooting that took place at the Tree of Life Synagogue in Pittsburgh on October 27th. She felt concerned about attending classes at her synagogue the following morning. This motivated her to start thinking about what she could do to help those who were affected by the shooting. She developed the idea to make postcards and collect donations that could be sent to the community at the Tree of Life Synagogue. This also inspired her idea for her Bat Mitzvah project.
Julia started collecting donations at Watkinson and ended up making 57 postcards that she plans to send. Her family helped her collect donations; her parents collected while at work and her sister Jade, who is a 10th grader at Watkinson, helped her collect at school. To show her appreciation to those who made a donation, Julia made goodie bags filled with candy and a pin that says #TogetherAgainstAntisemitism. In two weeks, Julia raised approximately $235, and she will still be continuing to collect donations for two more weeks. When asked what she learned from getting involved, Julia said, “Fear may drag you down, but there will always be other people in the world to help bring you hope.” Julia is a great role model in the Watkinson private school community. She demonstrated her selflessness by taking action to help others, and also by bringing awareness by getting involved with something about which she became passionate.
