Teen makes fundraising appeal for NCSY trip to Europe, Israel

SAN DIEGO — Reuvie Goodwin, son of Young Israel of San Diego activists Richard and Julie Goodwin, has been selected for the JOLT program of National Council of Synagogue Youth and is now raising money to finance his trip to Poland, Austria and Israel.

The teen wrote “This is a very selective program which accepts only 35-40 kids per year around the globe, so this really makes my desire to go even greater.

“During the program, we’ll all go to the concentration camps, graves and famous synagogues of our heritage.  In Austria we set up a camp where we teach 50 unaffiliated Jewish kids from Austria” such lesons as “what Judaism is about” and the “Aleph Bet (Jewish alphabet), a sort of mentoring program.  This has in the past been extremely instrumental for these kids.”

He added: “Israel peaks the whole program off, where we reflect on what we’ve done and make plans to know how we can teach and live better.  We visit may of the holy sites as well.”

Noting that the $6,000 expense of the trip is more than he can pay, he added: “I’m asking for people to give whatever they can, whether it be one dollar or one hundred dollars.  Anything will help greatly and I sincerely appreciate it.”

Young Goodwin offers “to take small letters to the Kotel (Western Wall)” for correspondents, adding “I would be honored.”

Those interested in helping Goodwin reach his financial goal may do so by contributing via the website:  http://sendmetoisrael.com/Reuvie_Goodwin

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Preceding based on correspondence from Reuvie Goodwin