Volunteer Opportunities Offered by The Jewish Federation of Cleveland Fresh Produce Distribution: Kosher Food Bank Wednesday, July 9 • 2 – 6 p.m. RIAS Kosher Food Bank, 2004 S. Green Rd. Pack, sort and distribute fresh produce to children and families in need. This Food Bank is the kosher department of the Greater Cleveland Food Bank and serves all people in need, regardless of race or religion. Please register now at www.jewishcleveland. org/volunteer. For additional opportunities at the Kosher Food Bank, call Devorah Alevsky at 216.288.7288. “Unstuff” the Bus: Help Children in Need Thursday, July 31• 8 a.m. – noon; noon – 4 p.m.; or 4 – 8 p.m. Kids in Need Resource Center, 3631 Perkins Ave., Dock A, Cleveland Produce to People Each year, WJW Fox 8 sponsors Thursday, July 17 “Stuff the Bus,” an all-day event 3 – 7 p.m. where school supplies are doHelp fight hunger in Cleveland! Produce to People is a monthly dis- nated to benefit the Kids In Need tribution program to pack, sort and Resource Center. The supplies distribute fresh produce to hungry are transported in school buses, where volunteers remove and children and families in need. sort the donations. Register at www.jewishcleveland.org/volCommunity Kitchen unteer. Registration deadline is Monday – Friday, Feed the Hungry: Produce to Monday, July 28. People and Community Kitchen Various Shifts Available Help prepare lunches that are Greater Cleveland Food Bank, 15500 S. Waterloo Rd. Volunteers must be 12 years and older. Register for both programs at http://greaterclevelandfoodbank.org/give-help/ volunteer. Registration deadlines are one week prior to event. distributed to local youth centers. Upcoming Programs at The J Save the Date! Cleveland Jewish FilmFest September 4-14, 2014 Jewish Book Club at The JCC Gain a deeper understanding and enjoyment from the books you read, while making new friends. Join this monthly book club, led by seasoned moderator and librarian, Andrea Davidson. You’re invited to come to the Mandel JCC on August 1 at 1 p.m. having read Brothers Emanuel by Ezekiel Emanuel. This program is free for Mandel JCC members and $10 for non-members. To register, contact ideas@ mandeljcc.org or Jan Rutsky at 216.831.0700, ext. 1348. Girl Rising Shown at Beachwood High School ast month, Beachwood High School (BHS) students watched a screening of Girl Rising, which details the struggles of nine girls who are fighting for an education in various countries. The movie was broken up into sections with each girl’s story. Wadley lived in a slum. Sokha was a “child of the dump.” Asmera was promised to a man by the age of 13, and Senna was raised in an environment where illiteracy and prostitution prevailed. Suma was a “kamlari,” or slave, obeying the commands of her owner; and Amina was a child bride who, at the age of 12, had already given birth to a baby boy. Yasmin was kidnapped and was almost murdered; Ruksana was a “pavement dweller,” or homeless; and Mariama was the first in her family to go to school. Each of these girls fought for a quality education, and in the movie, both their successes and their struggles were highlighted. According to Girl Rising, girls are often treated as second-class citizens because of poverty and traditions that are hard to break; and education is key to breaking by BHS Sophomore Dalia Zullig L the cycles of poverty in just one generation. By educating one girl, she is more likely to stand up for her rights and educate her own children, which will start a chain reaction where communities can prosper. We often take education for granted. According to BHS junior Srividya Uppalapati, Girl Rising was shown at BHS because it’s important to empower girls, build on their strengths, support them to follow their dreams and, especially, encourage them to get the education they deserve. In an email, Uppalapati stated, “Last year, eight BHS girls received sponsorships from Mayfield’s GirlUp chapter, which supports girls in other countries to get an education. I was one of them. When I walked out, I knew that everyone in our community and surrounding communities should have the opportunity to watch the movie. Since then, I’ve worked to bring it to Beachwood.” Education issues are prevalent, not just in other countries, but in ours as well. Although, according to Forbes, women first outnumbered men in the late 1970s, they are still looked down upon in American society. No job is too big to be affected by sexism. When Hillary Clinton considered running for president in 2016, she was not asked about what she would do to better the economy, she was asked whether or not she would be able to focus on being president while she had a grandchild. Past presidents, even with grandchildren, were never asked this question. Even Hollywood stars, like Scarlett Johansson, have been taking a stand against sexist questions towards female actresses. While at a press conference for Iron Man 2, Robert Downey Jr. was asked about character development, while Johansson was asked about how hard it was to get into shape for the movie. The showing of this movie initiated the start-up of a GirlUp chapter at BHS, with Madeleine Haas as its chapter president. Also, GirlUp and Inspire club (a club at BHS working towards empowering girls) will work to mentor younger girls and bring in speakers to help motivate and encourage girls on the importance of education. “Girl Rising was shown because education is the first step to actually making a change,” said BHS sophomore Molly Rosen. “While educating yourself is an vital first step, it is also important to spread the word, and do anything you can to help, whether it’s donating money or supplies, signing petitions, or bringing films like Girl Rising to different communities and groups.” “Educating girls can break poverty cycles and change the lives of future generation,” she added. For more information or to host a screening of the movie, visit www. girlrising.com. Girl Rising was shown at BHS because it’s important to empower girls, build on their strengths, support them to follow their dreams and, especially, encourage them to get the education they deserve. 52 Beachwood Buzz n July 2014