RSS
2 Jewish teens harness the power of their peers to address social problems — and spark a movement
![](https://jewishpostandnews.ca/wp-content/uploads/2023/08/8-30-2023-LILY_TOA_027-edited-Pixlr-eIF4Ls.jpeg)
In mid-2021, as the COVID pandemic raged, high school student Lily Messing noticed that the social ills plaguing her native Tucson, Arizona — including domestic violence, drug abuse and homelessness — all seemed to be getting worse.
Meanwhile, Jake Hammerman, a teenager in Lafayette, California, a suburb in the San Francisco Bay area, saw firsthand how the pandemic exacerbated the challenges facing homebound seniors, many of whom were isolated to begin with.
Determined to do something to help, the two Jewish teens put their respective skills to use: Lily as a grassroots organizer, Jake as a tennis instructor.
Lily, 17, established 100+ Teens Who Care, a nonprofit network of “giving circles” comprised of like-minded high school students who collectively select and donate to a specific local charity. Her first chapter, in Tucson, started out with 100 members and now boasts at least 220 teens. While Lily’s project began in Arizona, her impact has expanded across the United States and internationally, with 23 chapters now operating in places ranging from Idaho to Islamabad, Pakistan.
“I began the organization because I felt like teens really wanted to make a difference but lacked the coordination and opportunity to do so,” Lily said. “I wanted to give them an outlet to make meaningful change in our community.”
Jake, 18, launched Impactful Tennis in May 2020 to fund a local Meals on Wheels chapter. Under the program, volunteers offered children tennis lessons and asked that in lieu of payment parents donate the fees to that charity. Since its founding, Impactful Tennis volunteers have given over 900 tennis lessons to some 400 students, generating $39,000 in donations — not only meals for the elderly, but also for companionship and mental health services.
“My project started from my passion for tennis and also from what I was seeing on the news,” Jake said. “My grandparents suffer from Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s. The pandemic definitely aggravated the impact of these diseases, so I really wanted to help seniors during this time of need.”
In early August, the two extraordinary Jewish teens — along with 13 others from across the United States — were honored at a ceremony in San Francisco by the Helen Diller Family Foundation, which awarded each of the 15 teens a $36,000 prize in recognition of their outstanding work innovating and leading change in their communities and around the world.
Jake Hammerman of Lafayette, Calif., came up with a way to use tennis lessons to help fund a local Meals on Wheels chapter that worked with homebound seniors. (Diller Teen Tikkun Olam Awards)
The Diller Teen Tikkun Olam Awards, whose name is Hebrew for “repairing the world,” are given annually.
Among this year’s awardees: New Jersey resident Aron Goodman, who uses TikTok to fight antisemitism by sharing first-person video interviews with his grandmother, a Holocaust survivor; Meaza Light-Orr of Los Angeles, who spearheaded a $120,000 project to fund a primary school in her birth village of Kololo, Ethiopia; and Steven Hoffen, whose nonprofit boosts food security by installing and maintaining hydroponic gardens both in Israel and his native New York City.
Since its inception in 2007, the foundation’s Diller Teen Tikkun Olam Awards — established by Bay Area philanthropist Helen Diller — have given away nearly $7 million to 189 recipients. The awardees use the funds to help further their projects or contribute toward their education.
“Young people are striving to solve critical challenges in their communities with creativity, hard work, resourcefulness, and a commitment to tikkun olam,” said Phyllis Cook, the foundation’s philanthropic consultant. “We are inspired by their leadership and committed to recognizing them as role models for other teens by celebrating how young people can make an impact in communities across the country.”
For Jake, who has been playing tennis since age 7, it seemed obvious that the best way to raise funds for Meals on Wheels was to give local children tennis lessons. But instead of collecting money, he’d ask the kids’ parents to donate to Impactful Tennis through a GoFundMe account.
“It started off with just me and five of my closest friends, but I knew the organization had the potential to grow much bigger,” said Jake, a rising freshman who will attend Yale this fall. The group, which only gives lessons during the summer, now has 20 volunteer instructors and charges $40 per lesson. The concept is so popular that its online sign-up sheets generally fill up within minutes.
Even though COVID largely has receded from public concern, social isolation among the elderly still persists on a massive scale, Jake noted.
For her part, Lily realized that an individual teen donating $25 might feel insignificant, but that such a donation when combined with 100 other contributions could make a real difference.
As part of 100+ Teens Who Care, each member donates $100 per year ($25 at every quarterly meeting), with 100% of the collected funds going to a selected charity. At each meeting, three vetted local charities are randomly selected for consideration. Following brief presentations by those who nominated them, members vote anonymously. The charity with the most votes receives all the funds.
Since its inception, the Tucson chapter of 100+ Teens Who Care has raised more than $30,000 to provide essential supplies to homeless youth, support mental health services for children and fund housing for those transitioning out of the foster care system. Together, the impact of her service-minded peers is far stronger than if each teen helped individually, Lily said.
“I realized I could use the Tucson chapter as a template to create other chapters, so I developed information videos to help other teens start their own chapters,” Lily said. “We’re expanding at the rate of two new chapters every month, and every chapter puts its own spin on it.”
So, for example, the 100+ Teens Who Care chapter in Palm Beach, Florida, does monthly beach cleanups, while the chapter in Portland, Oregon, hosts food drives for that city’s homeless population.
“I feel like there’s real power in getting a group of like-minded teens to come together to make the world a better place and instill the values of philanthropy at such a young age,” Lily said. “I truly hope this will carry with them for the rest of their lives.”
—
The post 2 Jewish teens harness the power of their peers to address social problems — and spark a movement appeared first on Jewish Telegraphic Agency.
RSS
‘A Vile Act of Hate’: Israeli Hostage Posters Torn Down Outside US Lawmaker’s Capitol Hill Office
Posters of the hostages kidnapped by Hamas terrorists from southern Israel on Oct. 7, 2023 were ripped from a wall outside US Rep. Brad Schneider’s (D-IL) office in an act of vandalism on Capitol Hill, Washington, DC, July 4, 2024. Photo: Screenshot
US Rep. Brad Schneider’s (D-IL) office was vandalized on Thursday when unknown perpetrators ripped down flyers of the hostages kidnapped by Hamas terrorists during their Oct. 7 onslaught across southern Israel, according to a social media post by the congressman.
Schneider said his office on Capitol Hill in Washington, DC was targeted over US Independence Day in what he called “a vile act of hate” in a thread on X/Twitter.
“My Capitol office was vandalized yesterday in a vile act of hate in which the posters of the more than 100 people still held hostage in Gaza (including 8 Americans) were ripped from the wall, shredded, and tossed across the hallway,” he wrote, along with a picture of the torn down posters.
My Capitol office was vandalized yesterday in a vile act of hate in which the posters of the more than 100 people still held hostage in Gaza (including 8 Americans) were ripped from the wall, shredded and tossed across the hallway. pic.twitter.com/zSh86mdvIX
— Rep. Brad Schneider (@RepSchneider) July 5, 2024
After Hamas’ Oct. 7 attack on Israel, in which the Palestinian terrorist group killed 1,200 people and took about 250 hostages into Gaza, many activists, organizations, and elected officials put up photos of those taken captive as a way of spreading awareness.
In the days following the Oct. 7 atrocities, however, many videos surfaced of anti-Israel protesters and individuals tearing down the posters in cities and on college campuses across the country.
“This was a shameful act on any day, but especially on July 4, our country’s Independence Day. Sadly, it was but one of many hateful, un-American actions that took place across the country on the day we celebrate freedom and democracy,” Schneider wrote.
“I’ve been disgusted by the videos and reports of individuals calling July 4th a ‘terrorist holiday’ and burning American flags,” he added, referring to fiery and raucous demonstrations organized by anti-Israel groups to disrupt Fourth of July celebrations in US cities.
Some videos from the protests circulated on social media showed people yelling “death to America” and trying to steal and burn American flags.
This is not the first time Schneider has been targeted by anti-Israel agitators in recent days.
“More than 700 miles from the Capitol,” Schneider wrote, “my home was targeted last weekend at 2:30 am by approximately 50 masked demonstrators banging drums, blowing horns, and screaming antisemitic chants.”
The protesters roamed the streets of the greater Chicago area this past weekend, harassing Jewish residents and fostering unrest in their campaign to pressure elected officials into boycotting and divesting from Israel. Marching through the heavily Jewish suburb of Highland Park early in the morning, a mob consisting of dozens of demonstrators — who concealed their faces with masks and keffiyehs — amassed outside the home of Schneider, who is Jewish, reportedly dousing “red liquid” on the sidewalk.
Schneider noted that the same group that protested outside of his house also protested against the United States on Thursday.
“These actions don’t advance peace,” he pointed out. “Instead, they play directly into the hands of Hamas terrorists enabling them to continue to hold hostage not only those they kidnapped from Israel, but all civilians in Gaza as well.”
About 120 hostages currently remain in Gaza, after many were released as part of a temporary ceasefire deal in November and others were rescued by Israeli soldiers conducting special operations. It’s unclear how many of the remaining hostages are still alive.
The post ‘A Vile Act of Hate’: Israeli Hostage Posters Torn Down Outside US Lawmaker’s Capitol Hill Office first appeared on Algemeiner.com.
RSS
Anti-Israel Activists Flood Streets of US Cities to Disrupt Fourth of July Celebrations
Illustrative: Anti-Israel demonstrators clash with New York City Police Department (NYPD) officers during a protest on April 18, 2024. Photo: Reuters Connect
Anti-Israel groups organized fiery and raucous demonstrations in both New York and Philadelphia to disrupt Fourth of July celebrations marking US Independence Day on Thursday, drawing attention to the ongoing war in Gaza while showing their antipathy toward the United States.
Organizations including the Philly Palestine Coalition, Coalition for Justice in Palestine, and Within Our Lifetime called on their supporters to reject America’s annual celebration of national independence and patriotism in favor of showing support for Hamas, the Palestinian terrorist group that slaughtered over 1,200 people throughout southern Israel on Oct. 7.
Protesters responded by flooding streets and parks in Philadelphia and New York City, waving Palestinian flags and carrying signs denigrating both Israel and the United States.
In Philadelphia, roughly 400 protesters marched into Rittenhouse Square, bellowing chants such as “long live the intifada!” and “empire will fall!” The demonstrators proudly waved flags representing the Palestinians, Hamas, and the Lebanese terrorist group Hezbollah while tossing American flags on the ground and lighting them on fire.
“This July 4th, join us as we stand with the resistance and support Palestine, not AmeriKKKA! We don’t celebrate the legacy of genocide, colonialism, and slavery that July 4th symbolizes, but struggle for true LIBERATION for all ” the Philly Palestine Coalition wrote on Instagram earlier this week.
In New York, hundreds of pro-Hamas agitators gathered in Washington Square Park on Independence Day to participate in the “Flood Manhattan for July 4th” demonstration, chanting slogans such as “there is only one solution, intifada revolution!” and “US imperialists, number one terrorists!” The activists then marched through the park, screaming chants and carrying banners that read “resistance until return” and “globalize the intifada” each of which represent calls to enact violence against Jews. In one video circulated on social media, radicals placed the American flag on the ground and incinerated it.
“This country emphasizes freedom and independence, but the truth is it’s only independence for whites,” Besan Ahmad, a Philadelphia-based organizer, told WHYY News. “And the independence of those whites came from black, brown, and indigenous people.”
The July 4 protests represented a broader pattern of leftist agitators disrupting traditions and celebrations to draw attention to the anti-Israel cause. Last month, pro-Palestinian activists obstructed and hijacked Pride Month parades in major cities across the United States. Activists have also disrupted concerts, festivals, and parties to show their solidarity with the Hamas terrorist group.
Beyond Israel, the demonstrations also revealed a shared animus toward the US. Protesters have repeatedly chanted “death to America” and unfavorably compared US police and the Israel Defense Forces to the Ku Klux Klan. The activists, who typically brand themselves as “anti-colonial” or “anti-imperialist,” have often praised countries such as Russia or Iran, the latter of which backs Hamas and Hezbollah and has routinely called for the destruction of both Israel and the United States.
The post Anti-Israel Activists Flood Streets of US Cities to Disrupt Fourth of July Celebrations first appeared on Algemeiner.com.
RSS
Man Arrested, Charged With Hate Crime for Vandalizing Kosher Bagel Shop in Miami
A flag owned by Holy Bagels & Pizzeria that was vandalized on June 16, 2024. Photo: Miami PD.
The Miami Police Department on Tuesday arrested the man allegedly responsible for the antisemitic vandalism of a Jewish-owned kosher bagel shop in downtown Miami last month.
Kenneth Guerrera, 28, was charged with criminal mischief with prejudice, a hate crime charge, for vandalizing Holy Bagels & Pizzeria on June 16.
The kosher bagel and pizza shop was vandalized along with a flag outside the store’s entrance. The vandal spray painted “Free Palestine” and “Stop Genocide” on the front door and windows of the restaurant. The suspect also tore down from outside the store an Israeli-American flag that said “Stand With Israel” and spray painted “Free Palestine” on it. A number of volunteers helped clean off the graffiti after the vandalism, including Miami Mayor Francis Suarez and US District Court Judge Roy Altman.
Miami’s Local 10 news reported that a police officer in the Miami area identified Guerrera after seeing a police wanted flyer as well as surveillance video from the incident. Police said that after his arrest, Guerrera agreed to speak with detectives without an attorney, but his full confession was not shared with the public.
“The apprehension is a reminder that we will not tolerate such despicable acts of hate and will continue to work tirelessly to ensure that our community remains a safe and inclusive place for all,” said Chief of Police Manuel Morales after Guerrera’s arrest.
The post Man Arrested, Charged With Hate Crime for Vandalizing Kosher Bagel Shop in Miami first appeared on Algemeiner.com.