Home

Many children work to raise money for charity as part of a bar or bat mitzvah project, but Tzipi (Tzipora is her real name but she prefers Tzipi) Kushner is doing it with a twist -- she has chosen to raise money for two orphanages, one of which was her home for the first six months of her life.

The normally quiet tween turns 12 years old just after a Feb. 8 fundraiser she's organizing at the New York Sports Club in East Brunswick, followed by a March bat mitzvah. The program, from 1-5 p.m., will be like a day of summer camp for kids and adults. Activities include racquetball, basketball, volleyball, camp-style games for kids and adults, and will have cards and board games. Refreshments will be on hand for everyone.

Funds will be used to help an orphanage in Kirov, Russia that serves as a home for babies and toddlers. If children are not adopted they move to another orphanage when they turn 4 years old.

"We thought of it, and I've seen pictures of the orphanage where I was," Tzipi said. "I saw their playground... think it's sad. It's all broken down and wooden. They could fall and get hurt."

An orphanage in Israel also will be the recipient of funds from the bat mitzvah project. The school will use the funds to hold a bat mitzvah celebration for one or perhaps several girls, according to Tzipi's mother, Karen Kushner. If enough money is raised, the orphanage in Natanya takes the girl(s) on a field trip to the Kotel, purchases a new dress for each girl, serves a special meal and plans a party. The orphanage is one Kushner found online through levlalev.org.

The family was familiar with the sports club as Tzipi attended summer day camp there and her older brother Lior worked there as a counselor, said her dad, Stuart Kushner.

"It started very small," said mom, Karen Kushner. "Tzipi and I were talking about where she wanted to donate to and she knew she wanted to raise money to sponsor a bat mitzvah (in Israel) and an orphanage we know."

Tzipi said her first thought was a type of hop-a-thon or some other activity done at her home.

"Then I thought about camp and how it would be more space instead of at my house, so more people could come," said Tzipi.

Her mom added, "She kept saying, 'let's do it like we do at camp'."

The New York Sports Club is donating their space, and most of the staff that will be working at the event will be volunteering their time, Karen said.

Kushner said Tzipi also will donate some of her own bat mitzvah gifts to the fundraiser total.

"I want her bat mitzvah to be about learning and about growing. And about taking your place in the community," which means doing for others, Kushner said. "It's not about 'what's my party like and who's getting me a present?'... By putting together this fundraiser and on the other end of it adding her own gifts -- the world stands on three things, learning, doing is the planning and tzedakah -- that's what her bat mitzvah is about."

Meanwhile Tzipi has been counting all the RSVPs that have been returned.

"I think I'm always going to remember about what we're giving the money too," she said. "I've got some (responses) from people who are important to me. It's going to be organized for the kids and it's going to be like a camp day. You join a group and you play different sports... It's going to be really fun."

Admission is a donation of $15 per child, $10 per adult. For reservations and more information contact the Kushner family at tkbm@comcast.net.