28 | APRIL 28 • 2022

VOLUNTEER OF THE WEEK

H

odaya Ellis, 16, is a
10th grader at Farber
Hebrew Day School,
who recently donated her hair
for the fourth time to Zichron
Menachem, an Israeli nonprofit
that supports children living
with cancer.
Hodaya says that her hair
grows really fast and was down
to her waist before she decided
to cut it. “I usually go to my
grandma’s hairdresser and get
it professionally done, but I just
went to Great Clips and got it
cut to right above my shoul-
ders,
” she said.
When asked about what
inspired her to donate her hair,
Hodaya said she’s just happy
to help any way she can. “It’s
something really easy that I can
do to help people, and it doesn’t

inconvenience me to do it at all.
I like my hair how it looks when
it’s long and short. And my hair
grows pretty fast.
”
With this being the fourth
time she’s decided to donate her
hair, Hodaya’s mom, Tikvah
Ellis, says she’s very proud of
her daughter. Hodayah first
decided to donate her hair when
they lived in Canada and has
donated her hair three times
since moving to Detroit seven
years ago.
Hodaya says she is just happy
to have shorter hair for the
spring season and feels fortu-
nate to give back to those who
can benefit from her hair.

If you’re interested in donating to

Zichron Menachem, you can find more

details by heading to zichron.org,

Farber student Hodaya Ellis
donated her hair four times to
Zichron Menachem.

A Mitzvah
Haircut

RACHEL SWEET ASSOCIATE EDITOR

Hodaya at school baking hamantaschen for
high school Purim celebration. March 2022.

TOP: Hodaya in July 2014,
the first time she donated her
hair in Winnipeg, Manitoba
(Canada), a year before moving
to Detroit.

MIDDLE: Hodaya at home in
front of bookshelf June 2020
after getting haircut.

BOTTOM: Most recent time
she donated her hair until last
month.

OUR COMMUNITY

“Women to Work,
” a free,
four-week course offered by
JVS + Kadima that provides
important skills to women
needing immediate employ-
ment, will begin on April 28
with an informational meeting
in the morning, followed by
eight sessions on Tuesdays and
Thursdays, 9 a.m. to noon,
May 3-26. The program will
be held in person at JVS +
Kadima’s headquarters (29699
Southfield Road, Southfield).
Women to Work
Coordinator and Career
Counselor Judy Richmond,
who has run the course for
more than 15 years, said that
the women taking part in the
program appreciate the sup-
port they receive from meeting
others in a similar situation.
“Often the women think
they are alone, that they are
the only ones who have been
out of the workforce for many
years, or that they are the only
ones who have not been able
to find a job for a long time,
and then they find out that so
many others are in the same
situation,
” she said.
Friendships are forged and
the women encourage each
other; many continue to meet
for years after the program
ends. “
As the women become
more self-confident and opti-
mistic, they are capable of
an active and successful job
search,
” said Richmond, who
also remains in contact with
participants long after the pro-
gram has finished, providing
advice on future job applica-
tions and even negotiating
promotions.
For more information and
to register for the program,
contact Judy Richmond at
(248) 233-4232 or email her at
jrichmond@jvshumanservices.
org.

New Women to
Work Course