|
|
October 31, 2003
Helping his Israeli peers
Tyler Golden, 13, is Vancouver's Kids for Kids rep.
KYLE BERGER REPORTER
Just after his bar mitzvah last November, Tyler Golden decided
he wanted to donate a portion of the financial gifts he received
to tzedakah. Around the same time, there had been a terrorist attack
in Israel, leading Golden to conclude he wanted to do something
for Israel.
With the help of Dina Wachtel, the Israeli shlichah (emissary)
of the Jewish Federation of Greater Vancouver, he narrowed his choices
down to two options: Schneider's Children's Medical Centre of Israel,
the only children's hospital in the Middle East, and Kids for Kids,
which raises money to help children who are directly affected by
terror attacks. At the time, representatives from Kids for Kids
were visiting Vancouver and Golden attended one of their information
sessions. However, he chose to donate a special, needleless saringe
pump to the medical centre.
While Golden was happy with his contribution, he didn't feel like
he had done enough.
"I just felt like I wasn't part of anything, so I put all the
rest of my bar mitzvah money in Israel bonds, I contacted Kids for
Kids and they were interested in me doing a project with my school
[Vancouver Talmud Torah elementary school]."
Golden had a booth set up at the Talmud Torah spring fair and ended
up raising more than $1,300 for Kids for Kids.
Today he is very involved in the organization as a youth advisory
board member, one of only four outside of Israel.
"I thought it would be a one-shot deal after the spring fair,
but they liked what I was doing," he said of his contributions.
"Their mission was to have representatives in all the major
cities so they found me here and I think I'll be involved for a
long time."
Now that the school year is under way, Golden recently met with
Wachtel again to discuss plans to take advantage of Federation's
community connections. With a goal of raising money and awareness
about Kids for Kids, Golden said he will be making presentations
to various Lower Mainland elementary schools.
As Canada's representative of Kids for Kids, Golden also receives
e-mails, forwarded from the head office in Israel, from Canadians
who are interested in making donations or getting involved themselves.
"A lot of these people are teachers who want to do something
with their schools or they are people like me who want to give tzedakah
after their bar or bat mitzvah," he said.
While Golden is thousands of miles away from the children that Kids
for Kids helps, his parents, Kathy and David, have made sure that
he and his younger brother, Shane, have a good understanding of
what's going on in Israel. And Golden has also spoken with a survivor
of a terror attack.
"I've talked to one person who was a victim and is now very
involved with Kids for Kids himself," he said. "It really
made me realize that this organization really does a lot for people.
It's not just an organization that gives money and says, 'Goodbye.'
It's an organization that is with you from step one of being injured
until you fully recover.
"It's hard to restart a life after you've been seriously injured
in an attack," he continued. "Knowing that I'm helping
to get doctors or counsellors who can help [survivors] get back
to a normal life makes me feel good."
Through a variety of programs, Kids for Kids works to enrich the
lives of children who have been victims of terror in Israel, including
those who have been left orphaned, maimed or traumatized. More information
about Kids for Kids can be found online at www.kidsforkids.net.
Locally, donations can be made payable to "Meoroth," c/o
Vancouver branch of Kids for Kids, 5891 Laurelwood Crt., Richmond,
B.C., V7C 5J1.
Kyle Berger is a freelance journalist and graphic designer
living in Richmond.
^TOP
|
|
