Students in South Brunswick are helping disadvantaged youngsters in Ukraine join with Jews around the world in celebrating Simhat Torah.

Several weeks ago students at Chabad of South Brunswick made stuffed toy Torah scrolls to send to children at the Warm House for Schoolchildren in Donetsk.

The Ukrainian school, where students are given full room and board and medical care, is run by Chabad-Lubavitch and supported by the United Jewish Community of the Donetsk Region.

Children from disadvantaged families and broken homes as well as those from remote areas where Jewish education is not available are given a secular studies program offered at all state-approved educational institutions as well as a Jewish studies curriculum.

Rabbi Levi Azimov of the South Brunswick Chabad said he is an acquaintance of the Donetsk school's rabbi, Pinhas Vishedsky.
"We thought it would be a nice thing for our kids to share with their kids," said Azimov. "In fact, I already got an e-mail from the rabbi. He received the scrolls and will be giving them out to the children on Simhat Torah." The holiday begins at sundown on Oct. 4.

About 20 South Brunswick students ages seven to 13 put their own designer touches on each of the toy scroll covers before placing stuffing inside.

Goldie Azimov, who runs the religious school with her husband, said she thought the project would be an especially meaningful project to undertake in the period surrounding Yom Kippur.

"We were trying to teach the kids about charity," she said. "We wanted to show them even though they really had no money of their own [to give] they could still benefit others by their deeds."