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March 12, 2004/Adar 19 5764, Vol. 56, No. 25
Making a differenceAward impacts recipients' lives
The award, created by the Women's Department of the Jewish Federation of Greater Phoenix, is designed to recognize outstanding volunteer achievements of Jewish youth and to enhance community awareness of the positive contributions of youth. Each recipient receives a gift of $613, relating to the Jewish tradition of 613 mitzvot. The award is based on community service and volunteer activities for any type of volunteer organization, religious or secular. Applicants must be enrolled in high school, and previous applicants are encouraged to apply by the deadline, March 31. Applications are available by calling 480-634-4900, ext. 1119 or at www.jewishphoenix.org. Each of the previous recipients wrote an essay about the impact the award has had on their lives. Drew Alyeshmerni, 2002 recipient I have heard the question so often, "What is it like to be an Anne Frank award winner?" I realize now that after receiving the Anne Frank "Teens Make a Difference" Award I have never sat down and thought about the impact of it on my life. I remember that cool April morning a few years ago. The 10 finalists were standing before a crowd of parents, friends and community leaders as Wylie Silverstein and Francine Coles read a little bit about each one of us. As I heard the stories of each of the 10 finalists, I thought to myself, "Wow, it is such an honor to be standing up here with all these wonderful people my age." I surely didn't think that my efforts to involve myself in the Jewish community would get me anywhere, let alone finalist status in this awards process. When my name, along with Madeleine Wells, was read aloud as the Anne Frank award recipients, I was shocked. I immediately thought, "Why me? What did I do special? I don't deserve recognition." Over the past two years I have taken advantage of so many opportunities to continue my involvement in the Jewish community. Most importantly, I have been welcomed as a voice on the Anne Frank award committee. By being able to be a part of this committee, I have been opened up to the visions of the many adults in our community who want to recognize teenagers for what they do, and for who they are. Through witnessing the love, respect, admiration and excitement these adults have for young people, I have realized that I too, along with every other young person, really do make a difference. Madeleine Wells, 2002 recipient I am a sophomore at Cornell University pursuing a double major in government and Near Eastern studies, with a concentration in law and society. I teach Hebrew school to fifth graders at Temple Beth El in Ithaca, N.Y. I am active in the Jewish community at Cornell. I am the philanthropy chair for my sorority, Alpha Chi Omega, and concentrate on women's advocacy, including aid to women who are victims of domestic violence and rape. I want to translate Arabic for the government for awhile and then hope to do graduate work in political science and international relations and eventually pursue a career in either law or journalism. Liora Sitelman, 2003 recipient Anne Frank is a legend in her own right not because she was brilliant or beautiful, but rather because she was a dreamer who believed that one person really can make a difference in the world. Through the sensitive prose passages in her diary, Anne Frank expressed her views about human nature, which she felt was inherently good. Despite being cooped up for years in hiding, the idealistic 14-year-old still had hopes of making a large positive impact on the world. Unfortunately, the Nazis made sure she never lived up to her full potential. Seeing how much she accomplished in only 14 years reinforces the tragedy of her death and the loss of the great things she could have done. The fact that the award is in Anne Frank's name is a tremendous honor to me. I feel that every time a Jewish teenager helps out his/her community, Anne Frank lives out a bit more of the potential that was robbed from her during the Nazi rule. Honestly, however, the satisfaction from receiving the award was paralleled by the satisfaction received from the community service projects I did prior to attaining it. Certainly each smile from a first grader who just received a school box, and the satisfaction of knowing that I brightened an elderly person's holiday are as meaningful as the honor bestowed upon me by the community. The community service project that has meant the most to me, however, is the implementation of the peer mediation program at my school. This program gives students a forum to resolve their conflicts without the use of violence. To me, this is truly fulfilling Anne Frank's legacy, as she would have wanted to take steps toward creating a world without war. If there are any Jewish teenagers reading this, bear in mind that if you make sure that just one conflict is resolved without violence, or that one less child is hungry, then you have truly fulfilled God's plan of tikkun olam, and have brought honor to the memory of Anne Frank. Donald Benjamin, 2003 recipient On May 4, 2003, I was awarded the Anne Frank "Teens Make a Difference" Award by the Women's Division of the Jewish Federation of Greater Phoenix. This great honor was given to me because of my commitment to bettering my community and school. I have performed many hours of volunteer service to achieve this goal. My service has always been inherently rewarding; however, the public acknowledgement and financial award was simply "icing on the cake." My dedication to improving the world I live in will continue as I will probably perform the ultimate service, service to my country, by entering the United States Military Academy on June 28, 2004. |
