It is always amazing to see how students get involved in projects they believe in. Cleft Palate is a deformity to the mouth and is something one is born with. It prevents people from eating and speaking properly and can scar appearances for the rest of one's life. Children with cleft palate will have difficulty staying in school and maintaining a job, and in third world countries the problem isn't that children are born with a cleft palate, but that they do not have sufficient money to pay for the surgery. FULL STORY

Thanks to the efforts of 13-year-old Pamela Leo and the generosity of its members, the Manetto Hill Jewish Center was able to send much-needed clothing and toys to victims of Hurricane Katrina. Leo spearheaded this undertaking as her "Mitzvah" project in conjunction with her Bat Mitzvah. When asked what motivated her to commit to this project, Leo stated, "I was watching the coverage of Hurricane Katrina on television, saw all of the destruction and realized that I needed to do something to aid the victims of the hurricane. We all have to help others who are less fortunate." In addition to collecting the clothing and toys, Leo donated some of her own money to defray some of the cost of the shipping of those items. FULL STORY