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"During the pandemic I carried on tutoring Hebrew, but one-to-one online and, when COVID guidelines allowed it, outside. I'd done the two-month tutor training course in Year 8, because my synagogue focuses on community and I’ve been part of the congregation since I was a toddler - I went to nursery there. I didn’t want my connection to the people who were such an essential part of my childhood, and who facilitated the amazing experience that was my Bat Mitzvah, to fade away. It allowed me to stay attached to my religion and give back to my community. I also became more of a nanny than a babysitter, because working parents needed more help with their children as daycares, nurseries and schools closed. I love interacting with children, which is why I was working as a teacher's assistant at Sunday school before the lockdowns too. They see the world through a different lens in which imagination runs free, and their innocence and joy makes the world seem so much more bearable and wonderful, especially during such difficult times.
"Later on I started volunteering for MIND too because it supports mental health, which is just as important as physical health but has a lot of misconceptions and stigma around it in a way that physical health doesn't. As a teenager, my age group is particularly vulnerable to mental illness, and I really don’t want to lose anyone I care about to that. But, since the mental health of others isn’t in my control, I decided at least I could contribute to the support being provided to those who need it. I feel I'm the best version of myself when I’m doing productive, meaningful tasks, especially if they help others. And I never see my volunteering as any kind of sacrifice because it's something I enjoy, which is good for my own mental health too."
"During the pandemic I carried on tutoring Hebrew, but one-to-one online and, when COVID guidelines allowed it, outside. I'd done the two-month tutor training course in Year 8, because my synagogue focuses on community and I’ve been part of the congregation since I was a toddler - I went to nursery there. I didn’t want my connection to the people who were such an essential part of my childhood, and who facilitated the amazing experience that was my Bat Mitzvah, to fade away. It allowed me to stay attached to my religion and give back to my community. I also became more of a nanny than a babysitter, because working parents needed more help with their children as daycares, nurseries and schools closed. I love interacting with children, which is why I was working as a teacher's assistant at Sunday school before the lockdowns too. They see the world through a different lens in which imagination runs free, and their innocence and joy makes the world seem so much more bearable and wonderful, especially during such difficult times.
"Later on I started volunteering for MIND too because it supports mental health, which is just as important as physical health but has a lot of misconceptions and stigma around it in a way that physical health doesn't. As a teenager, my age group is particularly vulnerable to mental illness, and I really don’t want to lose anyone I care about to that. But, since the mental health of others isn’t in my control, I decided at least I could contribute to the support being provided to those who need it. I feel I'm the best version of myself when I’m doing productive, meaningful tasks, especially if they help others. And I never see my volunteering as any kind of sacrifice because it's something I enjoy, which is good for my own mental health too."
"During the pandemic I carried on tutoring Hebrew, but one-to-one online and, when COVID guidelines allowed it, outside. I'd done the two-month tutor training course in Year 8, because my synagogue focuses on community and I’ve been part of the congregation since I was a toddler - I went to nursery there. I didn’t want my connection to the people who were such an essential part of my childhood, and who facilitated the amazing experience that was my Bat Mitzvah, to fade away. It allowed me to stay attached to my religion and give back to my community. I also became more of a nanny than a babysitter, because working parents needed more help with their children as daycares, nurseries and schools closed. I love interacting with children, which is why I was working as a teacher's assistant at Sunday school before the lockdowns too. They see the world through a different lens in which imagination runs free, and their innocence and joy makes the world seem so much more bearable and wonderful, especially during such difficult times.