NEW YORK | Prior to their Bar or Bat Mitzvah, most young Jewish students are encouraged or required to take on a Mitzvah Project, volunteering or raising money for a worthy cause.
Seeds of Peace—a non-profit dedicated to empowering young leaders from regions of conflict by giving them the tools to promote reconciliation—has recently become the beneficiary of such a project.
Emily Epstein and Sophie Germain, from Long Island, have started selling Peace Bracelets to promote peace in the Middle East and raise money for Seeds of Peace.
The idea for the bracelets originated when Emily visited Israel for the B’nai Mitzvahs of her brother and cousins.
“I was surprised and sad to learn of all the problems that Israel has with its neighbors. It is terrible because most people in the area really just want to live in peace,” she says. “I decided then that I wanted to help find a way for people to live in peace, which would benefit everyone.”
Her Rabbi, Irwin Zeplowitz, told her to take a look at Seeds of Peace, which operates an international peace camp in Maine. Sophie joined with a shared appreciation of the lessons that can be learned at summer camp, explaining, “At [camp], I learned to treat people with love and kindness … I believe Seeds of Peace can do the same to help the conflict in the Middle East.”
The girls were also impressed that Seeds of Peace does not “just randomly choose someone to go to Camp, they pick someone that they think can be a leader.”
The bracelets (pictured), are blue, green, and white tie-dye, and say “Peace, Shalom, Salaam.”
“We wanted to blend in the colors representing the Israeli and Palestinian flags in a tie-dye, because we wanted to ‘tie’ these people together in friendship and unity,” explains Emily.
Wearing the bracelet “is an expression that all people deserve to live in peace,” she says.
Sophie agrees, adding, “The bracelets say ‘peace’ in English, Hebrew, and Arabic because we don’t want just Israel to have peace, and we don’t want just Arab nations to have peace. We want all of the countries to be in peace together.”
The bracelets were manufactured by the company Confetti and Friends, for which Emily’s Uncle Steve works. Confetti and Friends made and donated 1000 bracelets to the project, ensuring that 100 percent of the profits go to Seeds of Peace.
So far, the project has been a great success. In approximately six months, the girls have soldabout 350 bracelets, raising over $1,200. And they’re not stopping there. They will continue to sell bracelets at least through the summer.
“We never want to stop—we will stop when everyone has the bracelet!” says Emily.
Their success has been more than just financial, however.
“When people ask why we are selling these bracelets, it gives us a chance to help people understand what is going on in the Middle East,” says Emily.
“It is important for American people, especially young people who might not have ever thought about it, to understand and support the process of peace in the Middle East, and by selling the bracelets, we can help educate our friends and their families.”
The bracelets are being sold at a number of stores in Port Washington, local temples, and community events. Those interested can contact bandsforpeace@gmail.com for more information. Additionally, if people would just like to support the girls’ mission, a tax-deductible donation can be sent to:
Seeds of Peace
370 Lexington Avenue, Suite 1201
New York, NY 10017
How awesome! Can we purchase them online? Thank you for all that you do!