12-y-o Jewish girl donates to women’s charity on her bat mitzvah
Published:Tuesday | January 21, 2025 | 12:08 AMBryan Miller/Gleaner Writer
WESTERN BUREAU:
Kaila Tiner, a 12-year-old Jewish girl from New Jersey, recently celebrated her bat mitzvah at the Grand Palladium Resort in Hanover with relatives and friends.
To mark the occasion, Kaila made a financial donation to the women’s charity organisation Women with Scars, a group dedicated to supporting women in crisis and helping them rebuild their lives.
In Jewish tradition, a bat mitzvah marks the coming-of-age of a girl at age 12, while boys have a similar ceremony at age 13. Kaila turned 12 on January 4.
“I chose to support the organisation Women with Scars because they are doing something amazing, helping women through complicated pregnancies by providing necessities and care,” said Kaila, whose dream is to help people and animals while seeking to establish a rescue shelter for animals in the future.
“It means the world to me to share this moment not only as a vacation, but as an opportunity to give back to the community here in Jamaica,” she said.
Kaila’s father, Drew Tiner, took the opportunity to share a special message with his daughter.
“A bat mitzvah means embracing your role in our Jewish community, and taking on the responsibility to lead with kindness, compassion, and integrity,” he said.
He praised Kaila for her maturity in dedicating her bat mitzvah project to charity, emphasising that the most meaningful moments in life come from helping others and making a difference.
Women with Scars founder Sharee Cridland, who is a teacher by profession, and Janelle Stone, who does accounting for the group, expressed thanks for the donation.
“Our mission is to provide the highest level of physical, emotional and psychological support to women, especially mothers with high-risk pregnancies admitted to the Cornwall Regional Hospital (CRH),” said Stone. “This generous contribution signifies not only your belief in our cause, but also your desire to make a meaningful difference in the lives of women in need.”
Stone said the work of her group centres around three pillars of support at CRH – providing essential care packages, offering emotional and psychological support, and building a network of compassionate outreach.
Mitzie Smart, the social responsibility manager at the Grand Palladium Resort, who created the link between the hotel’s Sandy Footprints – a programme to link generous guests with local charities – and Kalia, said she was pleased with her donation to the group, which she sees as a worthy cause.