Hi, my name is Liz, I live in Montreal, and I am raising money through Unicef Canada for this important cause.

This year, I’m turning 46 years young. My birthday falls on the second and final day of Rosh Hashanah, the Jewish New Year - a time of reflection, renewal, and action.

I cannot celebrate fully while so many innocent people in Gaza - especially children - are being killed and deprived of even the basics of life. My heart breaks every time I see the news. I have shed many tears. For me, often even drinking a simple glass of water has become bittersweet, knowing children in Gaza literally risk their lives for a sip.

As a Jew, I need to say this clearly: the actions of the Israeli government do not represent me, or so many other Jews, in Israel and around the world. Given the horrors our people endured in the Holocaust, we should be the MOST open-hearted and generous, and the FIRST to protect the vulnerable. Instead, the actions of Netanyahu’s government betray everything Judaism should stand for.

These are children. They deserve love and safety—not bombs and hunger.

On Rosh Hashanah, the shofar is blown - a call to action. To reflect, to change, and to ask: what am I being called to do? This year, my answer is clear. One of the greatest mitzvot of the New Year is giving tzedakah—charity.

So in lieu of gifts, I’m asking family and friends to make a donation to UNICEF Canada’s fund for children in Gaza:

To make this more personal, I will match donations dollar-for-dollar up to $500. If you’d like a symbolic suggestion, consider giving $46 for my 46th birthday.

This is not about politics, race or religion - it’s about compassion. It’s about children who deserve a future.

If you share my feelings, I invite you to give what you can. It will mean the world to me, and, more importantly, it may help ease the suffering of Gaza’s children, despite the blockades that are hindering aid from entering Gaza.

Wishing you peace, blessings, and a sweet New Year.

Donate here to UNICEF Canada – Children of Gaza Fund