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February 27, 2004
Youths' act of kindness
VHA student Aaron Friedland spurs aid for homeless.
GAIL MATTUCK SPECIAL TO THE JEWISH BULLETIN
How many times have you seen a homeless person on the street? Maybe
they were asking for change, maybe they were sleeping, huddled up
against a doorway, trying to keep warm against the cold, or perhaps
they just stared straight ahead as you walked by, he or she resigned
to their fate. Perhaps you were glad not to have to dig into your
pocket for another handout. Whatever the scenario, most of us breathe
a sigh of relief when we are able to carry on our way, to continue
on with whatever we have planned to do in our busy lives.
However, this story is not about the majority of us. It is about
one exceptional boy and his classmates at Vancouver Hebrew Academy
(VHA) and their desire to do something out of the ordinary –
by doing a mitzvah for a neglected part of the community.
Aaron Friedland, a Grade 6 student at VHA, was walking downtown
with his mother, several weeks ago, when he saw a homeless person
huddled in a doorway against the cold. He looked at her and said,
"It's not right that they should be cold.
I want to use my tzedakah money to buy some blankets for them."
After going home and calculating how much he had saved up, he started
making phone calls. He wanted to buy as many sleeping bags as he
could for the people he had seen. He was able to get a small discount
at Zellers when he spoke to the store manager about who the sleeping
bags were for. He was able to afford to buy three bags. He then
insisted on going back downtown with his mother to personally hand
the bags out. The people he gave them to were overcome with emotion,
that this young boy would have the depth of kindness to think about
doing something for them in such a kind and selfless way.
The mitzvah doesn't end there. Aaron went to school and asked his
teacher if he could have 10 minutes to talk to his classmates. He
spoke about his experience and how it was a duty of all of them
to think of those less fortunate. As a class, they decided they
would raise money to purchase more blankets. They baked cupcakes
in the school kitchen and after school they sold them to the students
and their parents. Donations were also accepted. Through their efforts
they were able to raise enough to purchase 14 more sleeping bags,
and they then went downtown to distribute them. Again, the individuals
the blankets went to were overwhelmed and grateful.
It is a rare situation when an individual is able to empathize with
those who are less fortunate in such a way that they take concrete
steps towards helping them personally. It is even more uncommon
to be able to inspire others to do the same. Aaron Friedland is
such an individual, as are his classmates at Hebrew Academy.
If anyone would like to contribute to the sleeping bag fund, cheques
can be made out to VHA-PTA, and all funds raised will go towards
this worthwhile endeavor. The school address is 1545 West 62nd Ave.,
Vancouver, B.C., V6P 2E8. Any inquiries can be directed to Phillipa
Friedland at 778-893-4771.
Gail Mattuck is a member of the parent-teacher's association
of Vancouver Hebrew Academy.
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