Jewish Community News

News: November 2007

Twelve-year-old girl inspiresothers to give

Twelve-year-old Shoshana Levitt was not able to attend a recent Friends of the Israeli Defense Forces event in Los Gatos due to the demands of her homework assignments at Hillbrook School in Los Gatos so she sent her own $18 contribution to help the soldiers.  One of the Bay Area Chapter leaders, Robert Hudson, was so moved by her donation that he donated $18,000 in Shoshana’s honor.
    Although Shoshana has yet to visit Israel, she loves her Jewish homeland and believes strongly in supporting it, as well as local Jewish causes.  Beginning when she was only five years old, Shoshana regularly performs “mitzvahs” and allocates a quite significant percentage of her allowance to various tzdekah projects.  In 2006, she volunteered all day at the Palo Alto Israel To Life booth. 
    Each month, Shoshana meets with a group of about 20 Jewish friends in Senior Kadima through Congregation Beth David in which she serves as Vice President of Communications. 
    Shoshana says would like to meet IDF soldiers when she makes her first trip to Israel in 2008 as part of her Bat Mitzvah celebration.  “I want to personally say thank you for defending my Jewish homeland.  And after I say thank you, I want to ask them a lot of questions about what army life is really like!”

Born in Vietnam and adopted by her parents when she was only nine months old, Shoshana is following her parent’s strong Jewish values.  Her mother, Paula, says she wasn’t the least bit surprised when her daughter began donating at such an early age.  “She has always had a very kind heart and a giving spirit.”  Her father Marc adds, “She really loves being Jewish.”