Knock, knock, who’s there? Student charity

In recent weeks, Hebrew Academy of the Five Towns and Rockaway (HAFTR) High School students have initiated and participated in multiple fundraising events that benefit various deserving charities.
Last month, HAFTR students held a bake sale to benefit the Shalva organization. Students made cakes, cookies, chocolates and more to benefit the Israel-based group that helps special needs children and adults in Israel. Students have also been selling wristbands to benefit Shalva. Next month, a group of HAFTR students will run with “Team Shalva” at the fifth annual Jerusalem Marathon.
Over the past few weeks, students and faculty members have been donating pairs of lightly used and brand new socks as part of the Knock Knock Give a Sock program. The Give a Sock program, spearheaded at HAFTR by junior Yoni Kastner, is an international donation drive that collects socks on high school and college campuses and donates them to those in need, especially those in homeless shelters.
On Feb. 11, HAFTR students wore their favorite pink apparel as part of the Sharsheret organization’s annual Pink Day. Sharsheret is a national not-for-profit organization supporting young women and their families, of all Jewish backgrounds, facing breast cancer.
Pink Day is a yearly event at high school and college campuses around the country where students spread breast cancer awareness by wearing pink clothing. Seniors Sam Levinson and Julia Schwartz coordinated Pink Day activities at HAFTR. Students also participated in a Chinese auction for gift cards to local stores. In addition, students were also treated to a special breakfast.

HAFTR High School’s Chesed (community service) Club will hold its inaugural ‘Bowl-a-Thon’ to benefit Shaare Zedek Medical Center’s Wilf Children’s Hospital in Israel on Feb. 12. All the money raised will go towards improving the hospital’s facilities and towards the purchase of new machines to modernize the center.
Everyone at HAFTR is very enthused by the event. “I am really excited for the Bowl-a-Thon! I cannot wait to raise money for a great cause and have fun with my friends too,” said junior Melissa Feder.
Gabriel Shore, the student chair and organizer of the event said, “The reason I am organizing the Bowl-a-Thon is because I thought it would be a fun way for students to do chesed. I recently visited Shaare Zedek on a trip to Israel and learned a lot about them, which is also what motivated me to do this.”
If you would like to sponsor a team or donate directly to the hospital, please visit www.bowl4israel.com.