Last week, I shared that our granddaughter Juliet celebrated her Bat Mitzvah. Instead of gifts, she requested donations to fund a carousel to lift the spirits of suffering kids at Soroka Hospital in Israel. Her goal was to raise $36,000. I’m “shepping nachas” (Yiddish for swelling up with deep pride) to report that Juliet has raised over $43,000, surpassing 120% of her goal. In Juliet’s words, here is her mission for this fundraising project:
“Israel has always been part of my DNA. Some of my happiest memories are from visiting Israel, spending time with family, and feeling connected to a place that has always felt like home.
Over the past few years, I have come to understand that loving Israel also means taking responsibility for one another, especially for our brothers and sisters who need us most.
Soroka Medical Center is especially meaningful to my family. After October 7, my daddy traveled there to perform reconstructive surgery on wounded soldiers. I got to witness the courage of the patients and our heroic wounded soldiers and meet the extraordinary doctors, nurses, and staff when I went to their annual conference where my daddy spoke. It all made Soroka feel very personal to me.
Soroka is the only major medical center serving southern Israel and provides care for more than one million people across the Negev. Saban Children’s Hospital at Soroka serves approximately 400,000 children and is the second-largest children’s hospital in Israel. Soroka is also a vital trauma center for civilians and soldiers.
For my Bat Mitzvah project, I am raising money to help build a carousel for the children at Soroka.
A carousel cannot take away an illness or injury, but it can give a hospitalized child a moment to feel happy again. It can bring laughter, movement, imagination, and joy into a place where children and their families are often facing very difficult days.”
How is it that a 12-year-old girl has such a big heart to help others? It’s not luck. It’s the way Lizzy and Ira raised her. My mind goes to Proverbs – “Train up a child in the way he should go, and when he is old, he will not depart from it.” From the time their kids were tiny, Lizzy and Ira trained them up to give back. In my post “Parenting: Part Two,” Lizzy advises parents: “‘It’s our job to raise kids to care…. They’re watching everything we do…, and they know what’s expected of them.’ [Family philanthropy] is the ‘Savetsky Family Business,’ and they grow up knowing they’re a part of it.” It’s the Savetsky family routine to roll up their sleeves and do service projects as a family unit—all five of them together—Lizzy, Ira, Stella, Juliet, and Ollie.
Juliet gave her parents credit for bringing her up with solid values in her Bat Mitzvah speech. She connects it to her Torah portion “Lech Lecha” [“Go Forth”—to our Biblical homeland where Abraham was sent by Hashem (Hebrew for “the Name,” referring to G-d)]. In her words:
“This week’s parsha is Lech Lecha. In this parsha, Hashem tells Avraham to leave his home and travel to a new land, even though he doesn’t know exactly where he is going. Avraham trusts Hashem and follows His instructions.
I connect my parsha, Lech Lecha, to my own life because my parents have always raised me to be proud of who I am and proud to be Jewish. Just like Avraham was brave enough to follow Hashem and stand up for what he believed in, I want to always be proud of my Judaism and never be afraid to show it. As I become a Bat Mitzvah, I want to continue following in Avraham’s footsteps by strengthening my connection to Hashem, learning more about my religion, and carrying the Jewish values my parents have taught me throughout my life.
Thank you to everyone who came to celebrate with me today. It means so much to have all of you here for this special milestone in my life. Shabbat Shalom!”
To give you an even broader glimpse into Juliet, here’s a LINK to an interview she did with her rabbi’s wife Avital Goldschmidt. In eleven short Q & A’s, Avital reveals more of what Juliet is all about. Again, the nachas I feel just overflows.
When people ask about my mission to help families create and pass down a legacy, this post is what I’m talking about. Thanks for letting me share my joy with you.
Marvin E. Blum
Marvin & Laurie Blum “shep nachas” (are filled with pride) at the Bat Mitzvah celebration of granddaughter Juliet.
Juliet is at more than 120% of her fundraising goal to donate a carousel to Soroka Hospital in Israel.
Juliet Savetsky (front and center) is surrounded by parents Lizzy and Ira, and siblings Stella and Ollie, volunteering for Hatzalah emergency medical services in Israel. It’s the “Savetsky Family Business” to give back, and the kids are part of it from the time they’re born.
Juliet dancing with her daddy and her Zaidy (Marvin Blum, left)—three generations carrying on our Jewish tradition!