<div>As I turn 30, I’m struck by what a privilege it is to grow older — to be safe, fed, and surrounded by community and loved ones.
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<div>Meanwhile In Gaza, hundreds of thousands are denied that basic right to life.
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<div>So for my birthday, I’m asking for just one thing:<strong> Help me raise $1,800 for the Gaza Soup Kitchen.</strong>
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<div>Every day, the U.S. government sends billions in weapons and military aid to Israel — funding a genocide in real time. Our tax dollars are destroying lives. The least we can do as U.S. citziens is to help save some.
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<div><strong>Direct aid matters.</strong> The blockade of food, water, and medical supplies in Gaza since March has only exacerbated the genocide.  It can often feel unclear whether donations truly reach those in need — but that’s exactly why I support the Gaza Soup Kitchen. Their team is on the ground, feeding their own communities while providing ongoing updates with honesty and transparency.
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<div>This work means hot meals for displaced families, dignity in the face of destruction, and — most importantly — a lifeline for survival.
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<div>It costs $1,000 to run one Gaza Soup Kitchen for a single day. I’m raising $1,800 — enough to keep nearly two kitchens running for a day. The number is intentional: in Judaism, the word Chai (חי) means “life” and carries the numerical value of 18. We give in multiples of 18 to honor and affirm life.
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<div>My Jewish values — justice, dignity, solidarity, and tikkun olam (repairing the world) — demand that I act. Making sure people have food and stay alive isn’t charity — it’s a moral obligation.
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<div>Our government is funding this genocide. The least we can do is help those trying to survive it.
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<div>Gaza Soup Kitchen was started by two brothers, Hani and Mahmoud Almadhoun, who made a promise: no one in their neighborhood would go hungry. What began as cooking for neighbors in Beit Lahia has grown into 10 kitchens serving thousands of meals daily.
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<div>In early 2024, an airstrike killed Mahmoud. Still - Hani and the rest of the team didn’t stop. They kept cooking. Kept showing up.
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<div>They live by one word: Mostamreen — “We will continue.”
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<div>Over the past few weeks, I’ve been in touch with Hani. He sends photos from the kitchens. Notes filled with grief and gratitude.
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<div>They will keep going. We must keep showing up for them .
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<div>So I am. And I’m asking you to join me.
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<div>Give if you can. Share if you can’t. But please — don’t look away.
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<div>Help me honor life by supporting those fighting every day to preserve it.
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