Lila's Mitzvah Project

Hello family & friends,

In honor of my Bat Mitzvah, I am raising money to fund programs that help people with Autism.

While the past 18 months have been difficult for all of us, the impact of COVID-19 on individuals with Autism, and those who care for them, has been particularly difficult. Routine is incredibly important to individuals with Autism and as we all know, our routines were very disrupted during the pandemic. While many of us may have enjoyed going to school virtually - at least in the beginning - many kids with Autism suffered from not being able to engage in their normal physical, social, and therapeutic activities.

When I first came to Ner Tamid’s Hebrew School, I met my friend Max. Max has Autism and through our friendship, I was able to help him in the classroom and it’s something I very much enjoyed. This is the exact type of opportunity that was taken away because of the pandemic. I was planning to raise money for Autism anyway, but I believe it’s an even more important Mitzvah Project now.

When choosing to raise money for Autism, I spoke to Max’s mom to make sure she was comfortable with me doing so in honor of my friendship with Max. She told me how much Max loved working with me and appreciated my kindness, encouragement, and patience, and that he would love to be a part of my project.

So, for my Mitzvah Project, I am inviting you to join me in making a donation to Autism New Jersey in the name of my Bat Mitzvah so that more people with Autism, like Max, get the resources they need to live a full life. No donation is too small.

Thank you so much.

Lila Meranus