Good morning and Shabbat Shalom to everyone. Thank you for being here today. Those of you who know me well, know that I
aspire to be a costume designer. I am
already involved in designing costumes at Curtain Call and for my school plays.
I also work at “A Step Ahead,” a local
dress store that specializes in sparkly party dresses, where I also got my
dress for my party!
I suppose this passion comes from my Grandma Irma and
Grandpa Ira who were, and are, extremely creative. And my Great Grandmother Bessie, who loved
fashion and was an early career woman working as a buyer for a clothing store
in 1915. She was also very creative and
later knitted sweaters and blankets to send to the children of Israel through
Hadassah. She said they need them to
keep warm.
I know how important clothes can be in expressing who
you are and what statement you are trying to make. For example, Princess Kate is known for her
elegance, and Miley Cyrus, for being just the opposite. The expression “Clothes make the man” is true
for all people.
But with clothes, sometimes, instead of bringing out
who you really are, they are used to deceive.
Take my portion, for instance. Last week Ya’akov
(Jacob) and his mother Rivka created a costume to deceive Yitzchak, his
father. The trick worked and he got the
blessing, which should have been given to his undeserving brother Esav.
But this week, the tables are turned on Ya’akov. He thinks he is marrying Rachel, the love of
his life, but instead it’s Leah who is behind the veil. You would think that Ya’akov would know what
the love of his life looks like, her mannerisms, even her fashion choices. But he was fooled – and that’s the beauty and
danger of costumes.
We can see how powerful costumes and clothing can be
as expressions of who you are. They send
a message. Everyone has his or her own style.
The costumes become your trademark. They become you.
But they need to reinforce what is really there. Costume should be a window to the truth and not
deception. You need to be true to
yourself. The costume should never be wearing you.
In a couple of weeks, the second film of the Hunger Games
trilogy, “Catching Fire” is going to open.
(Thank you Reid) Costumes play a huge role in this series. The costume designer shows how in the
districts, people dress similarly to how we do now. But in the capital, they are all trying to be
someone they aren’t…. they have strange, colorful outfits, weird hair and they
even dye their skin. It’s the sign of a society that has lost its soul.
In many ways, The Capital in the Hunger Games is like
Germany under the Nazis. They dominate
all the other districts, just as Germany did in Europe. And they persecute people who aren’t like
them.
Tonight is the 75th anniversary of Kristallnacht,
‘the Night of Broken Glass’. Some say
that this is the night when the Holocaust began – because the Germans were able
to inflict lots of suffering on the Jews and no one tried to stop them.
For my mitzvah project, I have chosen to raise
awareness of the amazing work of Hadassah.
Hadassah is a volunteer organization devoted to improving the quality of
life for all the people of Israel and strengthening Jewish life in the United
States. Hadassah accomplishes this goal
by providing services focused on medicine and health, children, education and
the environment. Following in my Great
Grandmother Bessie’s footsteps of tzedukah, I have joined Hadassah and will be
donating a portion of my Bat Mitzvah gifts towards the Youth Aliyah program. Please consider making a donation in honor of
my Bat Mitzvah and in memory of Bessie.
You too can help Hadassah today, to make a brighter tomorrow for so
many.
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