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