Repairing the World

Areyvut Video Essay

Tue, 5 Jan 2010 21:40:03 -0500

Recently I was invited to submit a video essay to a New Jersey based organization called Areyvut. Areyvut is an organization that does all kinds of mitzvah related things, which include mitzvah fairs, mitzvah clowning, and an annual essay for Bnai Mitzvah kids. For the past two years this essay has not been a written essay but has instead been a video essay. One of the people at Areyvut has a Google news alert set up for all articles involving mitzvah projects. So, when my project was featured in the Rockland Journal News, Areyvut found out about it. They invited me to participate in this essay contest, and I accepted. Since then, I have been working on this essay. I visited TCF and interviewed Kathy Ambrose, the administrative director, Maureen McLaughlin, a childlife specialist, and Dr. Michael Harris, the director of the Tomorrows Children’s Institute for my essay. I also interviewed Rabbi Paul Kurland of the Nanuet Hebrew Center, and Dr. Eva Turner who as you all should know allowed me to put a collection box in her office for about a year. . The essay can be found here. Thank you all for your continued support of my project.
In addition, I am continuing my efforts to set up a nonprofit organization called Kids Love Books. For updates on that, stay tuned! Thank you all again.

Donations Keep On Coming.

Mon, 4 Jan 2010 21:32:11 -0500

Happy New Year! I know that it has been a really long time since my last post, but I have been really busy with school work and project related material. This blog post has taken so long to write also because so many things have happened since my Bar Mitzvah. Since my Bar Mitzvah, I have received so many donations.

Donation #1: Dial Publishing.
Dial sent me an e-mail a week ago saying:
Hi Mitchell,
Please forgive our very late response! I know your bar mitzvah has passed, but we just came across your donation request today. A box of books is in the mail, and should arrive to you by Thursday.
Best,

Heather Alexander
Editorial Assistant
Dial Books for Young Readers
This e-mail came two days before I received a box with a whole ton of books. Thank you to Dial.

Donation #2: Linda Schenker.
Ms. Schenker is J.K. Rowling’s PR person, and sent books to TCF. Just read the e-mail she sent:

Dear Mitchell,
Thank you for writing to JK Rowling about your Bar Mitzvah project. Your letter has been forwarded to my attention.

We have sent some books to Ms. Ambrose at Tomorrows Children’s Fund and hope that the children enjoy them. We applaud you for choosing a book donation for your Bar Mitzvah project and thank you for writing to Ms. Rowling.

Mazel Tov!
Linda Schenker for Scholastic Book Group

Thank you so much for this donation, Ms. Schenker, and to Scholastic as well.

Donation #3: Christopher Paolini.
This was by far the most exciting donation so far. Christopher Paolini sent me one book for the book drive. Why is one book so exciting? Because it was autographed. He also sent me an autographed picture for me.

Well, that basically wraps it up. For now...

Special Delivery

Wed, 11 Nov 2009 21:57:23 -0500

Well, this seems to be a pretty good news week! Two days ago was my interview (you can read about that here), and today was my first delivery to TCF! We brought about nine boxes of books there today, hauling them out of the trunk and onto two large carts, taking them up the elevator, and dragging them into the TCF office waiting room. While we set up a display, I asked if I could hand out some books to the kids. There were two kids, a brother and sister, in the hospital at the time who felt well enough to come and get some books. They were both very grateful and pleased to have the books. Each got two. The staff at TCF was astounded by the amount of work that I have been putting into my project, and by the fact that the nine boxes I brought isn’t even half of what I have. So, I hope to be able to return there and make another special delivery after my Bar Mitzvah.

By the way, for those of you who get the Journal News, tomorrow or later in the week check the Rockland Express section for the article on my project. That’s all for now!

Coming soon- I will post a link to the article when it is released, and my Bar Mitzvah is drawing nearer...

Extra, Extra!

Mon, 9 Nov 2009 20:26:38 -0500

I just got off the phone with a reporter from the Journal News, who called to interview me about my Bar Mitzvah project! Hooray! Yippee!! So, everyone had better check the Rockland Express Section when you get your papers, because my article will be there soon. The reporter was astounded by the amount of work that I have put into my project, and even more shocked at my growing 2240 book total. So, keep sending in those books, and keep my mom busy entering each and every one into her computer.

As my Bar Mitzvah looms closer (what, you don’t think it’s looming yet? Just check the count down!!!), I am going nuts with school-work, project stuff, and practicing. I am running out of time to do things for my project, because of the hours of homework I get every day! Now, I have to get back to work. Coming (too) soon- my Bar Mitzvah!

New Goal and New Wish List!

Fri, 25 Sep 2009 14:34:01 -0400

I am very proud to announce that I have once again passed my goal- I now have over 2000 books. I think that through Borders alone I received about 1000 books. I really need to thank Thom, Robin, and the rest of the staff at Borders at the Garden State Plaza for all the help and support they provided while I was running my book drive at their store. I especially need to thank Robin for giving me permission to run my book drive at the store in the first place, and for helping me to coordinate the whole thing. Honestly, I have no idea how I am going to get the books there. I am sooooo very excited that I will be able to help so many people with the amount of books that I am collecting!!!

Just for the record, even though I have over 2000 books to donate, I'm not stopping. I'm going to keep collecting until my Bar Mitzvah. I realize that, since my old goal is history, now I have to set another goal. So, my new book goal is... 2500 books! Maybe a little ambitious, but I know that with everyones combined efforts, the 2500 book mark can be history.

To say the least, I am rather disappointed that only one publisher has sent me books after my request. I need to follow up on that. When I get time, I plan on writing follow-up letters to many of the publishers that didn't respond to my first letter. Sorry if some of my thoughts are a little disjointed, but I actually am writing this blog post on a loud bus on my way home from school--- on my CALCULATOR. I know, isn't technology these days just amazing?

Speaking of technology, my dad found a great way to get more books- Amazon.com. If you visit Amazon through this link, you can buy books for yourself or my project. If you do, we get a percentage of all the sales- as long as they aren't sent to our house. Instead, please send them to the Nanuet Hebrew Center. The address for that can be found on my project page, way at the bottom. By the way, you can also buy anything else for yourself through that website, so please- go through this link for all your Amazon purchases. Oh -- and we updated my wish list, so if you haven’t yet bought books to support the drive, please have a look. Thanks again for everyone's help and support of my book drive.