Kyle Costanzo, Jack Paley, Emma Rose Brenner-Newman and Sam Merkovitz (l-r), who attend the Princeton Jewish Center Nursery School are among the children who donated $162 to the New Jersey Unit of Recording for the Blind & Dyslexic as part of the school's "Giving Tzedakah" program which teaches the students to do good deeds for those less fortunate.
Children from seven classes of Princeton's Jewish Center Nursery School donated $162 to the New Jersey Unit of Recording for the Blind & Dyslexic (RFB&D) to help the nonprofit record textbooks for students who cannot effectively read standard print because of visual impairment, learning disability or other physical disability.
The school's director, Joan Levin, said the donation was part of a "giving tzedakah," or doing a good deed, by giving money to a different charity each month. She added that the donations are meant to "get the kids, even at this age, thinking about those less fortunate." The Nursery program enrolls approximately 125 children ages 2 to 5, and offers a comprehensive program ranging from a toddler class to pre-Kindergarten classes with an afternoon enrichment program.
Interim executive director of RFB&D's New Jersey Unit Olivian Boon is excited about the gift. She said, "Any gift no matter how large or small helps us help people who would otherwise have difficulty continuing their educations. It's really encouraging to see people so young want to help others."
RFB&D's New Jersey Unit depends on the talents of nearly 500 volunteers at its recording studios in Princeton and West Windsor. It records textbooks in every subject area and grade level from kindergarten through graduate school. As a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization, the New Jersey Unit has no guaranteed sources of income and depends on tax-deductible gifts from corporations, foundations and individuals.
For more information about RFB&D's New Jersey Unit, call (609) 750-1830 or continue to read through this website. To learn more about the Jewish Center Nursery School, visit their website www.thejewishcenter.org.