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Jewish Community News
News: February 2007
Linda Hooper makes a profound difference in our world
Linda Hooper, the Whitwell Middle School principal who inspired the “Paper
Clips Project” spoke at the Jewish Federation of Silicon Valley’s
Annual Dinner on January 20, to a sold-out crowd. Her speech captured
the essential elements of tikkun olam (repairing the world through good
deeds).
In her talk, Hooper shared the moving story of how the students at her
middle school responded to the Holocaust—a completely unfamiliar
chapter in human history. Struggling to grasp the concept of six-million
Holocaust victims, the students decided to collect six-million paper clips—representing
each lost life. This extraordinary project, inspired by Hooper, grew into
the “Paper Clips Project,” publicized worldwide and later
made into a major motion picture documentary film.
Not only did this project give perspective to the residents of this white,
homogeneous town, it gave the children a sense of purpose and aspiration.
Where the median education level was 6 years of schooling, the students
participating in this program are, today, graduating from college.
“Linda Hooper demonstrates that one person can make a profound difference
in our world,” said Yavneh Day School past president Susan Ellenberg
after the event.
Most profound to another event attendee, Mark Fredkin, was the poem she
read about the ‘dominion of choice’.
“Linda Hooper captured the essence of our affluent lives. We can
choose to do the right thing. We cannot choose when we come in or leave
this world, but it’s the in between – our lives and how we
live them that will make a difference. Linda Hooper certainly is walking
her walk and talking her talk.”
Hooper wove in facts about how fortunate the attendees are compared the
rest of the world. The stunning facts she shared included: if you are
able to read then you are more fortunate than 2 billion people on this
earth; if you have money in the bank and some change in your pocket, you
are among the 8 percent of the wealthiest people in the world. “Linda
Hooper made us feel important and powerful to improve our world,”
commented Russell Schneider.
The evening, chaired by Al and Karen Guggenheim, was full of festivities
as well. Janet Berg was honored on the occasion of her retirement. Scott,
Shannon and Steve Guggenheim entertained the guests with a joyful roast
of Janet Berg. In addition, Bonnie Slavitt Moore was awarded the Harold
Witkin Humanitarian award. Rabbi Joey Felsen and Reneé Fine were
rec-ognized for receiving the Grinspoon-Steinhardt awards for excellence
in Jewish education.
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