Ari Lowenstein

Tzedekah Drive

Last October the ICJA student council ran a tzedakah drive in honor of breast cancer awareness month. As school treasurer I headed the movement with the help of the tzedakah committee. As a committee, we decided that we would allocate all the money raised to the Shaarey Tzedek Breast Cancer Society in Israel. Additionally, student council instituted a “Pink Day” in which the entire school wore pink in honor of breast cancer awareness month and sold pink ribbons for a quarter.

            Student council was slightly worried about how much participation would arise from the student body. To our surprise, student participation was extraordinary. I arrived at morning tefillah to see that almost my entire grade was decked out in pink. There was an energy that could be felt throughout the morning. That day student council sold over 250 ribbons. Moreover, we raised $422 in tzedakah. It was such a joy to see that my fellow classmates and friends were so eager to participate in a great cause. I continually witnessed peers stuffing dollar bills into already overflowing tzedaka cans. Some students were even donating $5 for the ribbons that cost only a quarter.

            I remember that at my interview during the summer before freshman year, Rabbi Matanky told me that The Academy was “a family.” Not until I directed the breast cancer awareness drive, did I fully understand the meaning of being a member of the ICJA family. Just like a family, the student body made sure of the fact that they would not only support the cause, but also each other. While I was nervous the night before “Pink Day,” I now regret that I once doubted the unity of my fellow classmates.

Simply put, my proudest moment at ICJA occurred when I saw that the entire school was so easily willing to unite in order to accomplish something great.