Penina Beede, inherited her love of arts and crafts projects from her mother, Rabbi Debra Cantor, an early afficionado of papier mache and glue guns. Rabbi Cantor heard about Shutaf from co-founder, Beth Steinberg, and immediately knew that Penina would be excited to include the Shutaf message of inclusion and acceptance as part of her Bat Mitzvah celebrations.
Debbie: “I am so impressed with the concept and the work of Shutaf. I felt that Shutaf, with its emphasis on inclusion and building personal relationships among kids of various ages, abilities, needs and strengths, would really speak to her. Penina herself has friends of all different ages; she is a sensitive person, who always tries to make sure that no one around her feels excluded. Plus, she loves camp and youth group activities.”
Penina: “I had wanted to do a Bat Mitzvah project which was something different than what my classmates had done. I thought that if I did a project with Shutaf, I could do two things at once – do a project to help support an organization that helps kids feel included and also publicize the work of Shutaf.
“I really wanted to let people know about Shutaf, so at my Bat Mitzvah service I spoke about Shutaf as part of my D’var Torah. I also made a big display board with lots of quotes and photos from the Shutaf website. I made a matching Tzedakah box and encouraged people to donate. That night, at my party, we had a Shutaf DVD running as part of the display. We made fleece blankets as “party favors.” Later, my mom and I put together the blanket kits and sent them to Shutaf. I hope the Shutaf campers will enjoy making the pillows.
Telling people about Shutaf was an honor. I was so glad to spread the word about this great model of inclusion and acceptance. I also felt proud that this idea has started in Israel, which is a place that means so much to me.
