The Ones Changing the World – Tehilla Sanders

Bat Mitzvah Fundraiser

My name is Tehilla Faiga Etya Sanders, but I go by Tehilla. I’m 12 years old from Pomona, New York, and I’m the oldest of four siblings. I have three brothers and no sisters. One of my brothers has special needs.

My 5 Fave Foods:

My father’s chummus

Oyster steak

Reese’s peanut butter cups

My father’s schnitzel

And last but CERTAINLY not least: Pizza Hut in Israel! (To be specific, the stuffed crust.)

Favorite sport:

I don’t have a favorite sport to play, but… I LOVE watching hockey games. I’ve been rooting for the New York Rangers since I was born.

Favorite subject:

My favorite subject in school is what every kid would say: Recess! I enjoy Chumash and Current Events, but I wouldn’t say they’re my favorite subjects.

Favorite hobby:

When it’s not hockey season, I enjoy playing football – and kvetching that I’m bored, which makes me not bored anymore!

What made you decide to volunteer for Pantry Packers?

I didn’t want a big party for my Bat Mitzvah, so my mother, grandmother, and I planned a whole itinerary and went to Israel. We wanted to do something special in honor of my Bat Mitzvah and thought chessed was a great idea. We chose Pantry Packers because we heard they have a great Bar/Bat Mitzvah program. The mission – seeing how many people we helped – was very powerful to me.

The experience was amazing. The atmosphere was great and energetic when Aviva Wallick (the director of advancement at Pantry Packers) was around – she just makes chessed fun!

Did anything special happen that you can share with us?

My favorite part of Pantry Packers was watching my plaque getting put on the wall. I raised enough money to get my plaque, and I’m grateful to my family and friends for generously donating in honor of my Bat Mitzvah.

The most special thing that happened was that I came back the next day to pack for Israel’s hungry again.

What is your message to other children turning Bar/Bat Mitzvah?

My message to all the Bar/Bat Mitzvah kids is to never give up an opportunity. If you see a shot to do chessed, do it right away.

One of hockey’s greatest players was Wayne Gretzky. He has a quote that really speaks to me: “You miss 100% of the shots you don’t take.” That quote reminds me of seeing an opportunity to do chessed and doing it.

If someone is thinking about doing Pantry Packers, I’d tell them to do it right away – and even go again the next day.