B'NEI MITZVAH PROJECTS
Max Cupersmith will be called to the Torah on May 4, 2024 at Temple Beth Sholom.
My Mitzvah project is to help raise awareness for the Las Vegas Chapter of After School All Stars. Founded nationally in 1992 by Arnonld Schwarznegger, After-School All-Stars provides free, teacher-led after-school programs that keep children safe during the hours where they might otherwise find trouble, all while teaching them skills to help them succeed in school and life.
Programming runs for 2.5 hours after school, 120 days of the school year in 34 elementary and Middle Schools throughout Las Vegas. Through its efforts over the last 29 years, After-school All-stars has been able to impact more than 150,000 students throughout Las Vegas.
The programming is offered at no charge to students, families or schools. The charity relies entirely on funding from donors, foundations and government grants as well as the support of community partners and volunteers.
Throughout my Bar Mitzvah journey, I have been fortunate to spend time out at the Dr. Owen C Roundy Elementary School in both reading to the 3rd grade class and participating in various extracurricular sporting activities with the students.
This mitzvah project is meaningful to me because After School All Stars provide the highest levels of learning and enrichment for the kids who need it the most, in a place and with the people they’re most familiar with in their school and with their own teachers. I believe every kid has star potential and those stars deserve a time to shine!
Talia & Aviva Sidranski will be called to the Torah on May 11, 2024 at Temple Beth Sholom.
Talia & Aviva Sidranski have the honor of being called to the Torah as a B’not Mitzvah on May 11, 2024. They are the youngest daughters of very proud parents Jody and Ruben Sidranski.
Talia & Aviva moved back to Las Vegas from Charlotte, NC this year, and attend the 7th grade leadership academy at Fertitta Middle School. Summers are spent on Lake of the Ozarks at Camp Sabra. Talia is passionate about all animals and dreams of being a veterinarian. She loves cooking, reading, lyra, “trampoline and tumbling” (T&T), and playing baritone (but can’t wait to learn drums!). Aviva loves spending time with her family, reading, acting, ballet, and playing violin. They both have enjoyed being in theater. Aviva loves making people laugh and Talia loves running the show behind the curtain as stage manager.
Talia & Aviva’s Mitzah Project has been representing Israel Guide Dog Center for the Blind, since last year, to help raise money for the training of Hebrew speaking guide dogs that will be given to visually impaired Israeli soldiers, those soldiers suffering from PTSD, and children affected by autism.
Please click here to make a donation.
Ethan Kaplan Gloth will be called to the Torah on May 25, 2024 at Temple Beth Sholom.
My name is Ethan Kaplan Gloth and I’m in the 7th grade at Lawrence Jr. High.
I play youth lacrosse with the Saints at Gorman I love animals and video games. My Bar Mitzvah project is through St. Jude. where I will be running a race to cure childhood cancer. My goal is to raise $5000.
To learn more or make a donation please visit:
I’m excited to be a bar mitzvah!
Shiloh Markowicz was called to the Torah on April 6, 2024 at Temple Beth Sholom.
Shiloh Markowicz is a 7th grader at Del Webb Middle School. She enjoys baking, playing the cello and spending time with friends and family. Shiloh is a member of the National Charity League, where she enjoys volunteering for various philanthropies with her mother, Robyn, and her sister, Ivy. Shiloh has a one year old puppy named Chewbacca that keeps her busy at home and has inspired her love of animals and her Mitzvah project.
For her Mitzvah project Shiloh is asking people to support the Animal Foundation. You can do so by bringing the following items and place them in the collection box at temple by May 17th.
New and gently used linens (towels, blankets, bath mats, etc.)
Dog treats (Pup-peroni is a shelter dog favorite) and cat treats
Puppy training pads
Unopened jars of peanut butter
Front-clip dog harnesses (especially size medium and large)
Nursing bottles for puppies and kittens
Royal Canin babycat canned food
You can also visit https://animalfoundation.com
for more opportunities to help.
Dylan Tavdi was called to the Torah on March 16, 2024 at Temple Beth Sholom.
Dylan's mitzvah project, inspired by his love for basketball, involves raising funds for Hoops For Kids, an organization in Netanya, Israel, which aims to empower at-risk youth through the sport. The project seeks to provide impoverished children in Israel with free tickets to professional basketball games, allowing them to engage with positive role models and learn essential life skills like communication, teamwork, and goal-setting. Through partnerships with professional basketball players from Barak Netanya and after-school programs, Hoops For Kids facilitates mentorship opportunities and fosters a sense of community among the youth, ultimately striving to expand its impact globally.
Netanya Hoops For Kids has already made significant strides, providing over 3,000 tickets for children to attend Barak Netanya basketball games and launching campaigns to engage both local and global communities in supporting their cause. By emphasizing the importance of education, discipline, and healthy lifestyles alongside basketball, the program aims to equip children with the tools they need to thrive and become positive contributors to their communities. Through Dylan's dedication to this meaningful project, he is not only celebrating his transition into adulthood but also making a tangible difference in the lives of vulnerable youth, both locally and internationally.
Donations are welcomed and appreciated .
Please use this link :
Levi Schaner was called to the Torah on April 13, 2024 at Temple Beth Sholom.
Levi's Mitzvah project is to help raise funds for American Friends of Neve Hanna Children's Home.
Since 1974, Neve Hanna Children’s Home in Kiryat Gat, Israel, has provided a loving home for children from distressed and dysfunctional family circumstances. They are children from Ukraine, Ethiopia, Middle Eastern immigrants, and native-born Israelis. Sadly, these children have been victims of poverty abuse, parental neglect, mental illness, and addiction in the home. These at-risk youth come to Neve Hanna where their physical, emotional, and educational needs are met. Neve Hanna is affiliated with the Masorti Movement as a Kehillah, the only one of its kind in Israel. The children’s home provides individual therapy, remedial instruction, and extensive enrichment leisure time programs to the children to help them thrive. Neve Hanna offers these at-risk youth the chance to grow beyond the circumstances from which they emerged. This loving, nurturing, and therapeutic environment gives the children the opportunity to heal, thrive and become responsible contributing adults of society. Many go on to build successful careers and raise healthy families. Neve Hanna aims to instill in its children, a sense of self-worth and an attachment to Jewish Tradition and values. Donations are greatly appreciated and can be made by clicking on the link. Donate - American Friends of Neve Hanna (charityproud.org)
This mitzvah project is meaningful to me because there are so many children suffering in Israel because of what happened on October 7th, 2023.
Julia Levin was called to the Torah on February 17, 2024 at Temple Beth Sholom.
Julia’s Mitzvah project is to raise money and awareness for the National Gaucher (“go-shay”) Foundation. The National Gaucher Foundation funds research and provides education and networking opportunities for those suffering from Gaucher Disease, a condition which affects Julia. People with Gaucher disease lack an enzyme which breaks down a fatty substance in cells. As a result, a waste product can build up in the liver, spleen, and bone marrow. This causes many different symptoms. Approximately 1 out of 40,000 people in the general population have Gaucher Disease; it affects 1 out of 450 Ashkenazi Jews. GD can be treated with enzyme replacement therapy administered by infusion for children or with a pill newly available for adults. Due to the rareness of the disease in the general population, treatment can be prohibitively expensive. The NGF helps patients who need assistance pay for treatment. Please consider donating!
Benjamin Rosencrantz was called to the Torah on January 13, 2024 at Temple Beth Sholom.
My bar mitzvah project supports the Shiloh Israel Children’s Fund. The mission of Shiloh is to heal the trauma of children who are victims of terror. Shiloh was started by David Rubin, the former mayor of Shiloh, Israel, after he and his three-year-old son were attacked by Islamic terrorists. David’s son was struck by a bullet and after all of his surgeries and physical recovery, it became clear that his young child, as well as countless other victims, also needed therapy to work through the trauma.
After the recent attacks in Israel, I feel strongly that Israel needs our support more than ever. To raise money for the Shiloh fund, I organized a charity soccer game and invited family, friends, classmates, and soccer teammates to play. My parents brought in drinks and an ice cream truck, everyone wore blue and white, and we all had a great time.
The event was a huge success and donations were encouraged. Further donations for this worthy cause can be made at https://www.israelchildren.org
Noah & Layla Sabet were called to the Torah on November 4, 2023 at Temple Beth Sholom.
Our mitzvah project focuses on giving people opportunities. All our life we have loved sports, including basketball, tennis, and football. We can’t fathom the fact that people are deprived of the opportunity to play sports because of their physical disability. This is why we are dedicating our Mitzvah Project to the Israel ParaSport Center.
We attended a fundraiser for the Center in Los Angeles and were really touched by the athlete’s stories and how they were given so many opportunities through the Center. We met the players, saw them play a game of wheelchair basketball, and heard up close how the Center made their lives better.
The Israel ParaSport Center, located in Israel, allows Israelis who have physical disabilities and are not able to play competitive sports to do so. The Center supplies its community with wheelchairs, instructors, and a state-of-the-art facility with courts, fields, and pools. We are happy to be supporting this cause and helping people have the opportunity to do something that they love.
Visit their page: