at Milwaukee Jewish Day School
I know what it means to be generous. I went with my mom to State Fair right after Hurricane Katrina. We had seen pictures of people on TV who lost everything and we wanted to help them.
We packed a lot of extra stuff in two boxes at home. I was playing with my favorite ball while we were in line waiting to hand in our boxes to the men who were loading the trucks. When we got to the front of the line I asked my mom if I should give away the ball. I could not decide because it was my favorite ball.
My mom told me that whatever I decided was ok. She told me that maybe a kid in New Orleans that lost everything he owned was sad, and when the truck gets there he might be happy. He might even be the best basketball player in the world, just because I gave him the ball.
I decided to give away the ball. When I threw it on the truck everyone clapped, and I felt great!
You don’t have to know exactly who you are going to help to feel good when you give tzedakah. It does feel even better when you know you are going to help a Jew somewhere in the world, especially Israel. The Milwaukee Jewish Federation helps us help other Jews that we have never met, and it feels great!
I am sure that I learned these things because of my great-grandmothers Masha Komisar and Frieda Kerns always telling my grandparents and mother “It is better to give than to receive,” and “family holds back.” I hope they are proud of me.
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