The Lev V'Yad (Heart & Hand) Tzedkah project pushes back the timeline for Bnei/Bnot Mitzvah Holocaust-era victims twinning projects to engage young families in dedicating their tzedekah activities in memory - on behalf of - one of the 1.5 million children killed in the Holocaust. According to tradition…those who have died can no longer perform good deeds (mitzvots) on their own and as such must rely on the living to perform acts of kindness (chesed) and charity (tzedakah) on their behalf. The Lev V'Yad program is a directed action to perform these kinds of charitable acts on their behalf and in so doing help elevate their souls (neshamot) in their journeys through the next world.

1. Heart & Hand Tzedakah Twinning program
If you don’t remember them
then who will?
A Unique Mitzvah Twinning Program Designed
to Engage Young Families in Doing Tzedakah
on Behalf of Holocaust Victims

2. A Unique Mitzvah Twinning Program Designed to Engage Young
Families in Doing Tzdekah on Behalf of Holocaust Victims
designed for families with children, ages 5-13
Blending a Beautiful Tradition
With Powerful Acts of Charity and Kindness
The Lev V'Yad (Heart & Hand) Tzedkah project pushes back the timeline for Bnei/Bnot Mitzvah
Holocaust-era victims twinning projects to engage young families in dedicating their tzedekah
activities in memory - on behalf of one of the 1.5 million children killed in the Holocaust.
Why on behalf of…According to tradition, because those
who have died can no longer perform good deeds (mitzvots)
on their own they must rely on the living to perform acts of
kindness (chesed) and charity (tzedakah) on their behalf.
Our actions on their behalf help elevate their souls
(neshamot) in their journeys through the next world.

3. Connecting The Past
To The Present...
With just a penny a day, a quarter a week, the practice of
giving charity becomes embedded both in school and at
home. Over time, children learn by doing and by the
example set by their parents.
The Early Years. Parents of children, ages 5-10, are
COURTESY OF AREL MISHORY
provided with the name of a young person who was
killed in the Holocaust, along with a short biography and photo. For families with a direct
connection to the Holocaust, the memories of their relatives would be honored through the
Lev V’Yad Tzedakah program.
These precious pieces of history are kept with the family’s tzedakah box. Handmade
tzedakah boxes made from recycled materials will be available for purchase, though families
may choose to create their own Tzedakah box or use one crafted by the child in school using
recycled materials to impart another important lesson in Tikkun Olam.
While the family’s charitable giving is done on behalf of their Holocaust-era twin,
during the pre-school and elementary school years the details of the young
Holocaust victim's life are known only to the parents.

4. Giving from the Heart
Doing with Your Hands
Throughout the early childhood and elementary school years
students become involved in fundraising drives, collecting pennies,
coats, toys and canned food through their schools, student council
and parent groups. Each opportunity for doing tzedakah helps to
further embed these important lessons in "doing for others" as part
of their Jewish identity.
As children grow they participate
more fully in giving and doing,
helping in the donation decision-
making process and taking
leadership roles in fundraising
projects at home, and at school.
These early entrepreneurial expressions represent an important transformation
as children come to better understand the needs of others.

5. oscar schindler
maria florek
Tzedakah & Tzedek - A Common Root
A Common Path to Righteousness and Justice
School curriculum and independent reading projects routinely introduce
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students in grades 4+ to the heroic and courageous acts of the "Righteous
sister alfonsja
Among the Nations" (Chassidey Umot HaOlam). According to Yad Vashem,
more than 24,000 men and women from 45 different countries (not
including individuals from various resistance groups) risked their lives, and
often times that of their families, to help rescue Jews during the Holocaust.
jerzy radwanek
True beacons of hope amidst one of Mankind’s darkest periods...
Finding meaningful entries to learning about the Holocaust can be challenging,
chiune sugihara
but by juxtaposing the moral courage of the Righteous in saving lives to the
deaths of 6 million Jewish men, women and children Holocaust offers each of us
dimitar peshev
hope and an embedded call to action to stand up for others.
Why learn about the Righteous? In the ritual practice of giving, of doing
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righteous acts we find a common root for the Hebrew words: righteous,
alice shiffer
justice and charity. If we are to find role models, past or present, there
are perhaps none more deserving of our respect and behavior modeling
than the "Righteous among the Nations" - the brave men and women
who risked their lives to help others during the Holocaust.
pastor andre trocme ona urbanos ella lingens feng shan ho aristedes de sousa mendes

6. Preserving 1,500,000 Memories
One Child - One Family at a Time
Over time, and as deemed developmentally-appropriate, the Holocaust-era child is
"introduced" to the whole family, the details of their life and death shared, and the beautiful
mitzvah the family has undertaken on behalf of the child explained.
The connection to the past is brought forward to the present in the Bnei/B'not Mitzvah years
as celebrants honor the memory of their Holocaust twin by sharing their good fortune with
others less fortunate. In so doing, the name of one of the 1.5 million children killed in the
Holocaust is remembered and tzedakah given on their behalf.
Lev V’Yad...with an open heart and hand, celebrants can also extend their twinning to
include the names of victims of other genocides or to twin with an orphan or abused child
whose young life has been touched by pain or tragedy. Families and Bar/Bat celebrants
can join the Lev V’Yad program at any time, including during the year spent preparing for
their Bar/Bat Mitzvahs.
Why a Family Twinning project? To help embed the memory of the
Holocaust for all generations, and through these efforts honor the
memory of each of the 1.5 million children killed in the Holocaust so
that they will never be forgotten.

7. Nathan Touwia Fruma
Hana
Moshe
Eva
Severin Irma
Josef
Haia
Jean Pierre Lambert Frania Antoinette
Bar & Bat Mitzvah Twinning
Preserving Their Memory
Jean Pierre Lambert was born in Paris on December 19, 1935 to Joseph (Claude) and Marianne. Prior to WWII he lived in
Paris, France. During the war he was in Paris. Jean was deported on November 20, 1943 and murdered on November 25,
1943 in Auschwitz. Jean’s parents Claude and Marianne, along with his brother Gerard and sister Francine were also killed.
Hana Borensztejn was born in Warszawa in 1923 to Moshe and Lea. She was a pupil. During the war she was in the Warsaw
ghetto. Hana was murdered in 1942 in Treblinka, Poland at the age of 19.
Haia Faer was born in Beltz in October 1935 to Haim and Ruhlea. Prior to WWII she lived in Falesti, Romania. During the war she was
in Litvinov (Kolkhoz), Russia (USSR). Haia was murdered in November 1943.
Nathan Lustman was born in Lodz in 1934 to Simha and Hana. Prior to WWII he lived in Lodz, Poland. During the war he was in Lodz,
Poland. Nathan was murdered in 1944 in Auschwitz, Camp.
Eva Weksberg was born in Moravska Ostrava in 1934 to Bubi and Iuli. Prior to WWII she lived in Moravska Ostrava, Czechoslovakia.
Eva was murdered in the Shoah.
Frania (Felicie) Rajter was born in Villerupt, France on December 31, 1931 to Majlech (Simon) and Mania. Prior to WWII she lived in
Villerupt. During the war she was in the Drancy internment camp. Frania was murdered on September 16, 1942 in Germany.
Touwia Polinowski was born in Paris in 1928 to Soil and Vera (nee Nudel). Prior to WWII he lived in Livry Gargan, France. Touwia was
murdered 11/11/1942 in Auschwitz, Poland. This information is based on Pages of Testimony submitted by his brother Mendel
Polinowski and father Shaul (Soil).
Severin Regenweter was born in Lodz on January 16, 1934 to Heniek and Zelda. He was a child. Prior to WWII he lived in Lodz, Poland.
Severin was murdered in the Shoah.
Moshe Drajer was born in Warsaw in January 1926 to Avraham and Pesa. Prior to WWII he lived in Warsaw, Poland. Moshe was
murdered in 1943 in the Warsaw ghetto.
Josef Weissler was born in Nikolai in 1937 to Alfred and Alice. Prior to WWII he lived in Nikolai, Poland. During the war he was in
Auschwitz Camp. Josef was murdered in the Shoah.
Fruma Katz was born to Barukh Khana in 1935 in Kazan Tatarskaya Assr, Russia. During the war she was in Telenesti, Romania.
Fruma was murdered in the Shoah.
Antoinette Denneboom was born in Harbrinkhoek on January 10, 1937 to Elie and Frederika. Prior to WWII she lived in Harbrinkhoek,
Netherlands. During the war she was in Amsterdam. Antoinette was murdered in Auschwitz.
Irma Grin was born in Poland in 1936 to Hersh and Sara. Prior to WWII she lived in Sosnowic, Poland. Irma was murdered in Sosnowic.

8. Nathan Touwia Fruma
Hana
Moshe
Eva
Severin Irma
Josef
Haia
Jean Pierre Lambert Frania Antoinette
Remembering the Past
Acting on the Present
As part of their Bar/Bat Mitzvah preparation, young people participating in the Lev V'Yad
Tzedekah project would create a tribute piece to honor the memory, the life of their
Holocaust-era twin, telling their story while at the same time reflecting on contemporary
issues of discrimination, hate, bigotry and genocide. Whenever possible (and for as long as it
is possible), the program would pair Bar/Bat Mitzvah celebrants with a local survivor mentor.
Projects can on take many creative forms...a brochure, poster, video,
artwork, essay, play or poem which is used to convey their thoughts and
reflections on their "twin." All projects would be placed in an online
gallery as part of the YIZKOR project's ongoing Holocaust remembrance
program, "Remembering the Past - Acting on the Present."
Culminating Ceremony. Within a given
year, the cohort of B'nei/B'not Mitzvah
would also participate in their
community's Yom HaShoah program,
sharing the names of the young people
whose memory they and their family
have honored over the years.

9. “The Bat Mitzvah twinning project gave Alie a meaningful entre to the Holocaust - a
perspective that encompassed both History and people by being able to twin both with a
survivor and a young victim.” - Sarah Goldblatt (Alie’s mother)
The Lev V’Yad program was inspired by Alie
Goldblatt who twinned not only with Eva
Dublon, a young Holocaust victim, but also
with Holocaust survivor mentor Dr. Rudy
Jacobson for her Bat Mitzvah.
Like Dr. Jacobson, Eva had been a passenger
on board the ill-fated S.S. St. Louis where,
they along with over 900 other passengers,
were denied refuge by Cuba, the United
States and Canada. The ship was forced to
return to Europe, where the refugees were
sent to four different countries. Rudy and
his family were sent to Holland; their quota
number came up and were able to escape.
Eva and her family were sent to Belgium. On
January 8, 1944 Eva, her sister Lore and
mother Erna were rounded up and deported
from the Mechelen Transit Camp to
Auschwitz-Birkenau. Convoy #23 arrived in
Auschwitz on January 17, 1944. Only 12
people from the Convoy #23 survived - Eva
and her family were not among them.
(Alie worked on the project with the assistance of
Arde Wandel, and under the auspices of the Sarah
and Chaim Neuberger Holocaust Education
Centre, UJA Federation of Greater Toronto)

10. Remembering those we lost...honoring those who survived
through community service, education and remembrance
the YIZKOR project
Lev V'Yad Tzedekah program
198 S. Holly Street
Denver, Colorado 80246
phone: 720.560.0271
website: www.theYIZKORproject.org
email: tami@theYIZKORproject.org
the YIZKOR project is a registered Colorado-based 501(c)3 non-profit organization
Contributions to the organization are tax-deductible to the extent permitted by law