A special Chanukah gift

By Yaffi Spodek

Issue of Jan. 9, 2009 / 13 Teves 5769

On Dec. 28, the seventh day of Chanukah, Jessica Willner of West Hempstead donated 11 inches of her hair to Zichron Menachem, an Israeli not-for-profit that helps children suffering from cancer. Through Zichron Menachem’s Hair Donation project, Jessica’s hair will be used to make a wig for a child experiencing hair loss as a result of cancer treatments.

“Jessica decided to perform this chesed several years ago in connection with her Bat Mitzvah, but it took until now for her hair to grow long enough,” her mother, Michele Willner, told The Jewish Star. “She found it particularly meaningful to cut her hair on Chanukah, as her gift to a sick child.”

Jessica, 14, is a ninth grader at Central (Yeshiva University High School for Girls), is a graduate of HANC Middle School, and serves as a youth leader at the Young Israel of West Hempstead.