2008-12-10 : “How Does a Hanukah Gift Beome a Birthday Party?”
December 10, 2008
How Does a Hanukah Gift Beome a Birthday Party?
Turning a Hanukah Gift Into a Birthday Party
Who isn't spending time right now trying to pick that perfect gift for someone, be it adult or child, who really doesn't need anything? As I look around the homes of my kids and nieces and nephews I sometimes shudder at the number of toys and games to be found there. What could I possibly buy them that would make a difference? That might not get tossed aside after a few weeks' play? There has to be something that I can do that will not only make these kids happy but also provide some happiness for needy kids.
We believe that Ruthie Luttenberg, founder of Birthday Angels in Israel, has found the answer. When Ruthie learned how many children never experience the joy of a birthday party (or even know their actual birth date!), she started Birthday Angels with the eventual goal of providing every needy child with this joyful experience. A $36 donation makes it possible for Ruthie's volunteers to provide a school party for any child who has been referred. ...and what a party it is! Ruthie's creativity and acute sense of what is fun and magical is evident in every aspect of Birthday Angels. Visit her web site (http://www.birthday-angels.org/) and get the full story...it is a particularly meaningful way to celebrate Hanukah, a birthday or just about anything else. I know that the kids who I have honored with a donation to Birthday Angels will feel really good when they receive a thank you from the birthday child.
As one of the birthday children shared with Ruthie her own party, "When they complimented me one by one I almost cried. I didn't know any one even noticed me before." (Smadar, 10 yrs. Old)
For an even more colorful look at Birthday Angels, we suggest you follow this link to a truly beautiful online brochure which was recently created for the organization by a very talented and generous graphics company. Kol Hakavod to everyone who took part in this special mitzvah!
http://www.dbrochures.biz/files/birthdayangels.exe
