Noya Dan was a 12-year-old Israeli girl with special needs and a big heart who loved stuffed bears and reading Harry Potter books.
On that horrific morning of Oct. 7, 2023, she and her grandmother, Carmela Dan, were among the more than 240 people taken hostage by Hamas terrorists from Kibbutz Nir Oz in southern Israel, where Noya was staying with her 80-year-old safta for the Simchat Torah festival.
Israeli authorities believe that Noya and her grandmother were murdered by Hamas en route to Gaza.
To honor Noya’s life and spirt, and in honor of “Good Deeds Month,” the Macks Jewish Connection Network will hold a special project to collect stuffed animals to distribute in the community.
The Network is an agency of The Associated: Jewish Federation of Baltimore.
The initiative is a collaboration with the Baltimore-Ashkelon Partnership and will take place simultaneously in both communities.
In Baltimore, care packages — including stuffed animals — will be donated to local organizations. In Ashkelon, Baltimore’s sister city in Israel, high school students will assemble care packages and distribute them to kindergartners.
To donate a new stuffed animal, purchase one through the Network’s Amazon Wish List or buy one on your own. The Network will assemble the care packages on Tuesday, Apr. 1, from 6-8 p.m. at Baltimore Hebrew Congregation, 7401 Park Heights Avenue in Pikesville.
“Good Deeds Day began in Israel in 2007 and has since grown into a global movement, bringing together volunteers in over 110 countries,” the Network said in a statement. “While Good Deeds Day is traditionally a single day of service, here in Baltimore, we’re expanding the impact with Good Deeds Month—offering multiple opportunities to give back throughout April. The Network invites you to join us in making a difference all month long.”
For information, visit thejewishnetwork.org/event/gdm-noyas-bears/
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