TORONTO — Aaron Serruya won’t be having a bar mitzvah party this year. Instead, he’ll help feed thousands of Israelis.
Aaron Serruya, who volunteered at a Hazon Yeshaya soup kitchen in Israel, is given a talit for his efforts by Hazon Yeshaya’s founder, Abraham Israel.
Aaron, who turns 13 on Nov. 22, decided to donate about $5,000 to an Israeli charity instead of having a party. The charity, Hazon Yeshaya, runs 60 soup kitchens throughout Israel.
“All my friends have a party for their 13th birthday. I wanted to help the poor people and give something to the community,” he said. “A party is just one night, a donation is for life.”
Aaron’s decision came after a trip to Israel in October, where he spent a day working at a Hazon Yeshaya soup kitchen in Jerusalem.
“I thought it was a really good cause. I saw how hungry everyone was,” Aaron said.
Instead of a bar mitzvah party, he will hold an information night to promote Hazon Yeshaya at the Sephardic Kehila Centre at 8 p.m on Dec. 5.
Hazon Yeshaya, which was started in 1997 by Abraham Israel, provides more than 400,000 free meals a month, as well as free dental clinics.
Israel will be flying to Toronto to accept the donation at the information night.
“How can I not come down when a person does something like this,” he said. “This is unbelievable, to put it in words is very difficult. All I can say is it shows what kind of a heart he has.”
While Israel was surprised by the news, he can understand the decision, especially after Aaron’s experience at the soup kitchen.
“The reason is very simple. When people see the stretched out hands of people receiving their only meal of the day… and they see the smile on the face of the recipient, you can not buy this anywhere,” Israel said, adding that, for many new volunteers, the scene can be a shock.
“I think that people, just like Aaron, for the first time in their lives, are confronted with real poverty,” he said. “It’s a shock to see these people, the way they are dressed.”
Shalom Verrilli, the organization’s director of development, agrees.
“If he helped us serve, that would definitely have inspired him,” he said. “If you come to visit, you’ll see immediately. We serve poor people.”
For Verrilli, the donation means more than just money.
“It’s quite exceptional… to recognize that here are people suffering in this world,” he said. “ I think he’s going to turn into a remarkable young man. It would be a pleasure to know him.”
Aaron’s mother, Orna, was surprised by her son’s decision. But not shocked.
“He wanted to make a difference in the world… ‘I don’t want to waste your money on a stupid party.’ Those were his words,” she said, adding that the family’s trip to Israel showed Aaron, whose father, Michael, is the CEO of CoolBrands International, a different side of his culture.
“It made him realize that not everyone’s as fortunate as him. He was shocked to see how some people are impoverished… I think Aaron realized it’s good to give back when you’re able to.”
