A time to give

United Israel Appeal
1300 ISRAEL (1300 477 135) • uiavic.org
With a credible record of delivering high-end missions, UIA trips are truly a unique way to unpack the diversity and layers of the cultural melting pot of our homeland. Led by professional tour guides, and following a dynamic itinerary, you will be exposed to parts of Israel that one would not have access to when touring Israel privately, and receive exclusive access to some of UIA’s extensive programs. Participants gain insights into UIA’s contributions to the social fabric of Israel, and this will serve as a memorable and tangible way to highlight the importance of tzedakah for the next generation.

Boys Town Jerusalem
(02) 8006 1336 • btj.org.au
Boys Town Jerusalem (BTJ) was founded in 1948 to provide a home and education for orphaned boys from the Holocaust arriving in the new State of Israel. BTJ became Israel’s first high school to provide students with a three-pronged curriculum of academic, Jewish and a high-level technological STEM curriculum. BTJ graduates serve in the Israel Defence Forces and go on to make important contributions to Israel’s high-tech, commercial, military and educational realms. Today, nearly 1000 students aged 12-22, a majority coming from disadvantaged backgrounds, study at BTJ. Unfortunately, many of these boys come from family situations that do not allow for a joyful bar mitzvah celebration. In addition to the obvious need to raise funds for their education, there are also the basics that we take for granted – tallit, tefillin, new shoes, new clothes and a small party, which are not possible.

As such, BTJ staff strive to provide a happy and meaningful celebration for every boy in need, ensuring that they feel special just like every other bar mitzvah boy. BTJ offers various opportunities for children in Australia celebrating their bar/bat mitzvahs to share this occasion with the BTJ students – they can sponsor a student to celebrate his bar mitzvah, donate to BTJ fundraising projects (scholarships, sports equipment, computers, musical equipment etc.), celebrate their bar mitzvah at the BTJ campus in Jerusalem with a special ceremony and festive meal, or volunteer and participate in projects on the BTJ campus alongside its students.

Mazon Australia
mazonaustralia.org
Mazon Australia, a Jewish Response to Hunger, was founded with a core belief: in a world of plenty, hunger and malnutrition should not exist. Mazon Australia’s goal is to support a broad range of charities providing for those in need through the collection of food and monetary donations. Our ancestors left the corners of their fields for the needy. You can follow in their footsteps by donating three per cent of the cost of your bar/bat mitzvah to Mazon Australia. For most of us, three per cent is the corners of our fields; for a hungry person, it is the gift of life.

Your simcha donation will enable Mazon Australia to support organisations such as Pay-A-Sack-Forward which distributes “Survival Sacks” to those experiencing homelessness in Australia. These “sacks” include food and hygiene products. Mazon Australia supports Hutt St Centre in Adelaide, which prepares and serves over 40,000 meals a year to those experiencing homelessness. Kosher Meals on Wheels in Melbourne and Sydney also benefit from Mazon donations. All donations over $2 are tax deductible.

Magen David Adom Australia
(03) 9272 5633 • magendavidadom.org.au
Mazal Tov! A bar/bat mitzvah is a special time to celebrate, so why not consider including Magen David Adom (MDA) in your child’s special day? Teaching our children the importance of tzedakah from an early age helps save lives into the future and instils in them community care and responsibility. MDA offers a huge range of medical, first responder and humanitarian services throughout Israel and the world. A unique initiative and vital part of MDA’s fleet in Israel is the MDA WISH Ambulance – a specially equipped service that enhances the quality of life for people with serious illness by granting them life-changing wishes. The WISH Ambulance is staffed only by volunteers – from the coordinating of each WISH to the medical professionals who attend – and there is no cost to the patient or their family. MDA Australia, this year, has raised funds for a second WISH Ambulance, and your family and guests can continue to help MDA in Israel make wishes come true by nominating MDA as a gift recipient on the occasion of your child’s bar/ bat mitzvah.

Make-A-Wish Australia & Israel Shared Appeal
1800 032 260 • makeawish.org.au/shared-appeal
Thousands of children and teens in Israel and Australia are diagnosed with a critical illness every year. Make-A-Wish takes each Wish Child on a unique Wish Journey where they anticipate and experience their most cherished wish coming true. Imagining their greatest wish gives sick children something to look forward to, building positivity and resilience. A wish journey complements medical treatment at a time it is really needed. Whether it’s building a snowman for the first time, swimming with dolphins or becoming a superhero, each Wish Journey creates anticipation, creates lasting memories and uses positive psychology to give critically ill children and their families a feeling of hope.

All donations (tax-deductible) to the Make-A-Wish Australia & Israel Shared Appeal are shared between the two countries, which means every bar/bat mitzvah child supporting the charity will be changing lives for critically ill children in both Australia and Israel. Zoe and Jamie Kahane chose to support the charity for their recent simcha: “Being a kid, I can relate to those kids feeling isolated. I miss my friends if I don’t see them even for one day. I can’t imagine not seeing them for months on end. Having their wish gives them something to look forward to and I wanted to help contribute to that.” Zoe Kahane “I chose Make-A- Wish because I like the concept of distracting the kids from their sicknesses. It makes me happy that I have helped to make a difference in their lives.” Jamie Kahane

Mount Scopus Memorial College
(03) 9834 0065 • scopusfoundation.org.au
While Mount Scopus focuses on Jewish learning in its b’nei mitzvah programming, part of becoming bar and bat mitzvah means students take on responsibility for performing mitzvot. At Scopus that responsibility is tangible. For those who choose to make a donation as part of their celebrations, Scopus runs the Mezuzah program. A student who makes a donation as part of his/her simcha gets to take responsibility for physically putting up the next new or replacement mezuzah required at the college, with the assistance of Rabbi Shamir Caplan. In recognition they receive a leaf on the B’nei Mitzvah tree in the Morry and Esther Bursztyn Synagogue. Families can also elect to ask guests for donations in lieu of gifts and direct funds to a specific project.

WIZO
(03) 9272 5588 • wizovic.org.au
A bar or bat mitzvah is such a significant and memorable milestone in any Jewish child’s life. Sadly, for a variety of reasons, there are many children in Israel who are not fortunate enough to be able to celebrate their bar or bat mitzvah. Women’s International Zionist Organisation (WIZO) supports hundreds of children each year as part of its Bar and Bat Mitzvah Twinning Program. How can you help? For only $180 you will enable an Israeli child in WIZO’s care to celebrate their milestone. This donation enables WIZO to create a memorable ceremony for each participant that they can share with their family. To enhance the experience, they travel to the Kotel and receive a tallit or candlesticks that they will treasure forever. WIZO is extremely proud of our Bar and Bat Mitzvah Twinning Program. However, WIZO cannot provide this valuable simcha without the generous support of the Jewish community in the Diaspora. Share in the happiness of your upcoming simcha by twinning with a disadvantaged Jewish child in Israel.

JNF
1300 563 563 • jnf.org.au
JNF has been at the centre of our community’s simchas for generations. Now, the organisation has made it simple for you to have an even more meaningful simcha by making a difference to the lives of young families in Israel. What sets JNF apart is its longstanding commitment to supporting clearly defined projects in Israel, covering areas such as community development, water solutions and recycling, environmental research & development, agritech, ecological restoration and the provision of forests, parks, gardens, playgrounds and recreational areas all over the country. JNF also supports a wide range of public benevolent projects, assisting special needs, economically challenged and other disadvantaged communities, with a particular focus on the country’s periphery and border regions. By linking your simcha with JNF, your guests have an option to donate to JNF, on your behalf, in lieu of gifts. JNF can make tzedakah gift-giving simple by directing guests to your customised JNF simcha donation webpage.

Jewish Holocaust Centre
(03) 9528 1985 • jhc.org.au
Donating to the Jewish Holocaust Centre (JHC) in lieu of gifts for your upcoming bar/bat mitzvah is a meaningful way to celebrate this important milestone. The Jewish Holocaust Centre is dedicated to delivering the vital messages of the Holocaust, such as social responsibility, human rights, racism, prejudice, antisemitism and discrimination. The JHC can offer customised programs based on our award-winning Hide and Seek school program – this program aims to explore the Holocaust and social justice issues through age appropriate learning activities. Bar/bat mitzvah donors will receive a personalised giving page to invite friends and family to give to the JHC on their special occasion.

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