Reprinted from
Lehrman students respond to hurricane relief funds by Sergio Carmona, Journal Staff Writer • 14 October 2008
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ollowing the devastation of Hurricane Ike in Haiti, Cuba and Texas, the Greater Miami Jewish Federation set up hurricane relief funds to help victims in those areas, and Miami Beach’s Lehrman Community Day School responded in a big way last month. During that time, the school conducted a tzedakah drive where students raised $400 in coins for the Federation’s funds. Rabbi Seth Linfield, head of Lehrman, said that the drive was significant to the school’s mission. “[The drive] helps emphasize that to be a reflective Jew is not just being cerebral, it’s not just being of mind, but it’s being a person that acts to and responds to conditions,” he said Linfield said that the decision for the drive came out of a discussion with the students where they realized they needed to respond to the devastation because although the storm didn’t hit locally, it did impact other parts of the world. During the drive, each student donated one coin of any size per day. Federation representatives Steven Scheck, chair of agency, day school, and synagogue campaign, and Laura Guren-Rodriguez, senior community development associate, shared their gratitude towards the school’s efforts when they visited From left, Rabbi Seth Linfield, head of Lehrman Community Day School, Uriel Rubinovich, a second grade student from Lehrman, and Greater Miami to pick up the check of $400. Jewish Federation representatives Steven Scheck and Laura Guren Rodriguez. “I think this sets a good Photo: Sergio Carmona example for other organizations to support the Federation that saves people in Miami, Israel, and the rest of the world,” Scheck said. Scheck also said that Lehrman is a school that not only teaches English, Math, and Social Studies, but Jewish values as well. Rodriguez also weighed in on the possible example it can set throughout the community. “We hope that other agencies, day schools and synagogues in the community will find innovative ways to help fellow Jews,” she said. A few students shared their experience in participating in the drive. “I think a mitzvah helps make people feel good inside but I’m also sad for the other people because that could’ve been us and I know that they would’ve helped us so this mitzvah was helping other neighbors,” said fifth grader Leah Stein. Daniella Lanes, also in fifth grade, added, “We were lucky it didn’t hit us but in other countries people lost their homes and a lot of things, so it was good that we did this mitzvah.”