West Hempstead Fourth Graders Bring Chesed to Life

One Dollar at a Time

by KR

Just before Pesach, Elana Jacobs, a dedicated teacher at HANC in West Hempstead, led her class of 30 fourth graders in a meaningful initiative benefitting needy Israeli families. It’s a project that continues to resonate even now. Each year, among her numerous lessons and programs, she makes it a priority to teach her students about the mitzva of Maos Chittim: giving tzedaka to help families in need so they can make Pesach. And this year was no exception.

With Yom Tov approaching, Jacobs explained the importance of Maos Chittim to her students, to ensure they understood how critical the support is; that there are families who simply don’t have the ability to buy food on a daily basis, and especially for Pesach (one of the most expensive times of the year). To bring the message home, Jacobs showed them a short film, American Friends of Yad Eliezer/B’ezri’s The Red Wagon, which tells the story of a young girl collecting food for a needy family in Israel. In a powerful twist, by the end of the film the son in the recipient family finds a coin and donates it back to AFYE/B’ezri, reminding viewers that one mitzvah leads to another, and chesed can come from anyone, at any age. And in Jacobs’ example - from any distance.

She encouraged her students to bring in $1 each, with the option to contribute more if they wanted to. Many were excited to give beyond that amount, donating their own pocket money. Jacobs further encouraged their giving by creating a visual representation of their generosity: for every dollar donated, the girls got to hang a “matza” on a wall display, symbolizing their project's growth. Many parents contributed as well, and by the time Pesach arrived, the class had raised $250. All funds were donated to American Friends of Yad Eliezer/B’ezri’s Pesach campaign, which distributed over $3.2 million to needy families across Israel including single mothers, widows, needy IDF soldiers and numerous other struggling households.

The support guaranteed families would have their essentials for the holiday, ensuring they could celebrate Pesach with dignity. Jacobs’s project made a strong impression on her students, evidenced by their observations and comments, including:
“I’m sad there are people who don’t have money. I’m happy to raise money for poor people.”
“Giving tzedaka is like a mesora-one person gives and inspires others to give also.”
“What’s Pesach without matza and grape juice? We have those things, Baruch Hashem, but others don’t—so I’m happy to help.”
“I felt good giving because I am helping people out.

The annual project is more than a fundraiser—it’s a strong life lesson about values plus a reminder that small hands can make a big difference. For this group, “Kol dichfin yeisei veyeichol” - "whoever is hungry, come and eat” really hits home.

With Pesach behind us and the daily grind back in motion, needy families are back to worrying about how to make it from one day to the next. We can help.

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