The Penny Project - Over 100,000 Pennies Collected!

Temple Jeremiah collected over 100,000 pennies as part of its Penny Project. The project was held over a period of 18 months in commemoration of Yom HaShoah, Holocaust Remembrance Day. The pennies serve as a reminder of the six million people who perished in the Holocaust.

The temple presented the Illinois Holocaust Museum and Education Center with a check for $1800 at its Israel Extravaganza on April 27, 2008. See Cantor Amy Zussman's article below about this special presentation.

The Penny Project was modeled after the Paper Clips Project created by Whitwell Middle School in Tennessee. Whitwell Middle School’s goal was to collect 6 million paper clips to help students visualize the number of Jewish victims of the Holocaust. This project was later documented in a film.

"Yom HaShoah & the Penny Project"

By Cantor Amy Zussman

By the time you read this article, Yom HaShoah, the Holocaust Day of Remembrance, will be over. But it's on my mind as I sit down this morning to write.

Last week we had a special presentation. Richard Hirschhaut came to Temple Jeremiah on Sunday, April 27 to receive our donation of $1800 for the Illinois Holocaust Museum and Education Center. Mr. Hirschhaut is the Project and Executive Director of the museum and education center. Construction of the building is underway in Skokie and should be completed by next year.

Our Temple Jeremiah community collected 180,000 pennies for the museum! We filled 6 ten-gallon water containers … each container standing for 1 million … a reminder of the 6 million who perished in the Holocaust. It was truly a group effort. With the support of Rabbi Cohen, Rabbi Greenberg, Fern Kamen, Anne Lidsky, our support staff, maintenance staff, teachers, students and the entire Jeremiah congregation, we were able to make this a memorable project and donate our pennies to a very worthy cause.

Mr. Hirschhaut spoke to our students at our amazing Israel Extravaganza Day celebrating Israel's 60th birthday on April 27. He said, "Temple Jeremiah's gift will help to ensure that the memories of those lost in the Holocaust are preserved, so that future generations can experience the universal lessons of the Holocaust and understand the need to fight hatred, intolerance and genocide in today's world."

A week later Mr. Hirschhaut was one of the speakers at the Yom HaShoah observance at North Shore Congregation Israel. He mentioned our Penny Project and the impact it had on the community and the Holocaust Museum. He spoke of the significance of working as a community, educating our congregation on awareness of the Holocaust and raising funds to the special number "18" which represents chai, life. I was so proud. Our congregation made a difference and now serves as a role model for other congregations to follow.

The survivors of the Holocaust are growing older. In a few years that generation will be gone. Their story must never be forgotten. Just as we retell the story of Passover every year so that our children learn the story of the Exodus … we must retell the story of the Holocaust so it never happens again. We are all responsible for remembering. And it just goes to show that even by giving a penny you can make a difference.

Thank you for being part of the Penny Project!

- Re-printed from the June, 2008 Covenant