CLEARWATER, Fla. — With Hanukkah just days away, 13-year-old Delilah Brahm is bringing light to her Tampa Bay community in a meaningful way. The seventh grader turned her bat mitzvah project into a successful book drive, collecting 295 books for children in need through Gulf Coast Jewish Family and Community Services.
Delilah started collecting books in September, using social media posts, flyers, and donation boxes at her temple to spread the word. Books of all kinds began pouring in from community members eager to support her cause.
"It felt so good. When I got the first book, I was like, Oh my gosh, I got a donation, and I hope we get a lot more. And the final book, I said, ‘wow, we got a lot of donations.’ I'm really pleased with how we did, and I can't wait to get more books later," Delilah said.
Her mother, Dani Brahm, watched with pride as her daughter's compassion turned into action.
"She's always been a reader, so she started reading very early. It's amazing. She reaches out to people; she connects with people. With this, she said ‘I want to donate books,’ she said ‘I want them to go directly into the hands of other kids,’” Brahm said.
The books were donated to the non-profit Gulf Coast JFCS, which helps about 30,000 people each year. This time of year is their biggest push for donations. The Hanukkah bazaar is a great way for families to shop for free gifts for their loved ones or get essential items.
Dr. Sandra Braham, president and CEO of Gulf Coast JFCS, met Delilah for the first time during the book donation. She praised the teen's initiative and said it exemplifies the agency’s 50-year mission to help families.
"I heard about her project and was very excited to have her bring just a really fresh face to the agency. We've been working hard to develop more projects for young people, whether they're Jewish or non-Jewish, who are not too young to change the world. They have big ideas and big dreams. And Delilah is one example of a young person who took it upon herself to start a project for something that she cared about to help others, to help other children," Dr. Braham said.
Delilah hopes her book drive will inspire others to read more and raise awareness about literacy issues in the community.
"I hope that they enjoy the book and that it inspires them to read even more. And also, I hope that people who hear that I did a book drive for my mitzvah project bring more attention to the issue of literacy, and I hope that they realize that every kid deserves a book that they love," she said.
The experience has motivated Delilah to continue helping her community beyond her bat mitzvah project.
"I also feel inspired to do even more after we came and donated the books. And now I want to do even more to help the community and Gulf Coast Jewish Family Services in the future," she said.
For more information on how you can help Gulf Coast JFCS, click here.
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