Bat mitzva girl donates $100000 to JNF - Jewish National Fund

TV News | RSS | Blogs 6 Elul 5767, Monday, August 20, 2007 19:28 IST |nmlkj Web nmlkji JPost.comCar Rentals JPost Simchas Music JPost Store Real Estate Index Christian Edition Advertise with Us Green IsraelJPost.com » Jewish World » Jewish News » ArticleSERVICESSubscribeCareersClassifiedsE-mail EditionArchivesToolbarAllJobs IsraelChristian EditionYouth MagazinesePaperNews TickerPodcastsSECTIONSHomeHeadlinesIsraelMiddle EastIranian ThreatInternationalJewish WorldBlogsCafe OlehOpinionBusinessFeaturesArts & CultureReal EstateTravel & TourismBooksSportsHealthSci-TechAug. 7, 2007 21:38 | Updated Aug. 8, 2007 16:09Bat mitzva girl donates $100,000 toJNFBy RORY KRESSPrintE-mailSubscribeToolbarTalkbacks for this article: 32Samantha Resnick had only one item on her bat mitzvawish list. Unlike most girls her age, who cross theirfingers for anything in a powder-blue Tiffany's box,Resnick set her sights on something a bit bigger than aribbon fit around: $100,000 worth of donations to build abrand-new playground in Israel.About a year-and-a-half before Resnick's bat mitzva, herfather, Josh, sat his precocious, curly-haired daughterdown for a talk."I said 'You've always had everything you've needed andyou've also had everything you've ever wanted. Do youreally want people to buy gifts for you or do you want todo something special for kids in Israel?'"Without a moment's pause, Resnick agreed to the idea. "Iwas really proud of her," said Josh.Sponsored section: KKL-JNF's Green IsraelOver 500 friends and relatives received an unusualinvitation for Resnick's bat mitzva last September:Included in the envelope was a small card requesting thatdonations be made to the Jewish National Fund (JNF) inlieu of gifts. Every family invited to the event contributedto assemble one of the largest bar or bat mitzvadonations the JNF has ever received.On Monday, in Israel for the first time, Resnick and herJosh, Samantha, and Debbie Resnick unveil the dedication plaquefor the new playground at Sapir Park on Tuesday.Advertisement

In JerusalemSpecial ReportsQ & AAudio Programsparents formally opened the playground that is attachedto Sapir Park in the Arava Valley. The playground isdesigned to accommodate children who have specialneeds alongside those who do not.Map of IsraelIsrael ResourcesFinancial TablesWeatherResnick, whose mother, Debbie, is a language andhearing therapist in the Pittsburgh public school system,explained why it was important to her to includespecial-needs children in the project.Shabbat TimesMedia KitSudoku"I feel so upset when you see all these kids playing and amentally challenged kid is left out," she said. "You seethem thinking 'I wish I could go and play, too.'"CrosswordThough content to be a 14-year-old philanthropist for themoment, Resnick has plans to expand the park."I want it to be huge," she said, adding that she hopes toemulate a park near her own home in Fox Chapel nearPittsburgh. She described her dream park with thematter-of-fact certainty of being a kid who knows exactlywhat a kid would want. "There's a slide of course,because everyone loves slides... and there are tireswings because I wanted to bring some stuff fromAmerica."www.getenergyactive.orgAds by GoogleeBook of the DayResnick's parents are both deeply involved in the JNF;her father is president of his region in Pittsburgh and hermother is an active member of the Sapphire Society, theladies' division of the JNF.They said the idea of a bat mitzva was being lost incontemporary American society, and they did not wanttheir only child to miss out on learning actual values atthis critical point in her life.Preview it online & save!SpecialsEldan Rent-a-CarThe largest car rentalcompany in Israel offers20% discountFree trip to IsraelJPost.com and itssponsors giving you achance to win a freevacation to IsraelJobKatifHelp JobKatif restorelives, one job at a timeCharacterImmunizationRaise Children StrongEnough to Resist PopularCultureGreen IsraelProtecting Israel'senvironment - becausewe care of Israel and theworld we live in"She said 'You know what, I don't need the gifts,' whichjust told us how much she understood the b'nei mitzva,"said Josh, noting that many b'nei mitzvot have becomeincreasingly materialistic. "It's always disturbed me thatthese children of families of wealth and of highernetworks have people attending their affairs trying tofigure out what to buy them... I think it was meaningful toa lot of the attendees that Samantha would choose to godown this path.""It was important for our family to know what a bat mitzvareally was," echoed Debbie.Thinking about her playground, Resnick could not helpbut gush about the beneficiaries of her generosity: "Ireally love kids. I like to take good care of them."Bibi is drifting to theleftDanny Danon will keephim on the right trackLearn Hebrew OnlineWith Israel's bestTeachers. Sign up for aPrintE-mailSubscribeToolbar

trial lessonPoalim Onlinebanking transactionseasily and convenientlyHave NIS 350,000?Click Here!The future of musicglobal community ofmusic makers discovernew musicJerusalem Gold HotelYour Home in JerusalemPay 6 Stay 7 daysRosh Hashanah 2007The most unique giftsAvailable on the internetMatch for Free atTwentyfourSix.com!Largest Free JewishDating Social NetworkCareers at JPostJoin Free at JDateWhere love happens!Join now!32. Bat Mitsvah girl donates $100,000Monique - Israel (08/09/2007 09:13)Post comment | Terms31. #9 #14 What helps the Arava helps all Israelmalka - (08/09/2007 01:46)30. To Nos. 14 And 25Steve David - (08/09/2007 01:35)29. #9 out of curiousity what corruptiontopanga - (08/09/2007 01:11)28. MENSCH!Michal - (08/08/2007 23:15)27. Great!Ajay Kaur - India (08/08/2007 23:07)26. Re: #14 ContM - (08/08/2007 22:14)25. Re: #14M - (08/08/2007 22:13)24. Doing JewishHH - USA (08/08/2007 20:44)23. Well done!!Ann Helen - US (08/08/2007 19:33)22. # 9 get over itMichal - (08/08/2007 19:32)21. Want can one say to such a wonderful ideaRick - USA (08/08/2007 19:27)20. A TREMENDOUS EXAMPLE!!Eli - (08/08/2007 19:22)19. Kol Ha-KavodSteve David - (08/08/2007 19:16)18. Bat Mitzva Girl Does the RIGHT THINGNaomi - USA (08/08/2007 19:04)17. How proud her parents must be of her.Frank Molnar - USA (08/08/2007 18:55)16. THE BEST OF USabe - usa (08/08/2007 18:53)15. On behalf of all the Jewish people, I would like to saythat you made a very inspiring decision and are aninspiration to us all!Jewish community - (08/08/2007 18:46)14. There are people starving in Jerusalem but hey, thekids in Tel Aviv need a playgroundNoral - (08/08/2007 18:35)13. great kidjoe smith - usa (08/08/2007 18:27)12. bat mitzvahmf - (08/08/2007 18:27)11. Amazing!Mikey - Canada (08/08/2007 18:19)10. You're an amazing girlSimcha Dov - Israel (08/08/2007 17:33)9. Girl and Familynot living in realityilana - (08/08/2007 17:29)8. Mazel TovStephen - USA (08/08/2007 17:23)

7. Bravo -- Major KudosAri - USA (08/08/2007 17:12)6. Bar Mitzvah GirlB Hammer - (08/08/2007 16:51)5. Kol ha kavodE.S. - Canada (08/08/2007 16:35)4. playgroundJack S. - USA (08/08/2007 16:26)3. KOL HA'KAVODNolan - USA (08/08/2007 16:15)More...JEWISH NEWS [ more » ]MKs to convene over Shoah survivorsSenior ADL official fired over comments on ArmenianmassacresMuslim member of Congress joins anti-Semitism taskforceWJC approves Lauder nominee SchneiderOrthodox educator to head controversial NYC ArabicschoolKosher Food - Kosher Food Delivery in the USEnter to get your 5% Discount now! www.aviglatt.comAds by GoogleAdvertise on this siteJPost Sites: JPost Store · America's Voices · JPost Français · The Jerusalem ReportSponsored Links: Free trip to Israel! · Car Donations · Donate Car · Fundraising Ideas · Shopping · BreitBart.com · Cheap Flights UK ·Classified ads · Play Pool · Student loans & college tools · Prom dresses and gowns · The future of music · Maps ofIsrael · Cash Advance · Prom Dresses Jovani · Forex Trading · Web Hosting Providers · Dental Plans · GravesiteServices · Unique Jewish Gifts · Bat Mitzvah Gifts · Poalim OnlineServices: Print Edition · JPost CD-Rom · Subscriptions · Classifieds · Place a Classified Ad · Careers · E-mail Edition ·Archives · ePaper · JPost Toolbar · News Ticker · Podcasts · AllJobs Israel · Christian Edition · Youth Magazines ·Exclusive ContentJPost Guides: Dating & Relationships · Charitable Funds · Green Israel · JPost Kosher Gift Baskets · Real Estate IndexInformation: About Us · Feedback · Media Kit · Sales · Staff E-mails · Privacy Statement · Copyright · Terms of Use© 1995 - 2007 The Jerusalem Post. All rights reserved.About Us | Media Kit | Exclusive Content | Advertise with Us | Subscribe | Contact Us