Woodworking and Water

Caleb Wolf Rudick, celebrated his bar mitzvah last March.

For Caleb’s mitzvah project, he combined his interest in woodworking with raising money for a non-profit organization. When our family went to Israel, we could not agree on a menorah to purchase.
With 5 different tastes among us, we left many stores in Jerusalem and Tel Aviv empty handed. Upon our return, Caleb built a menorah in his woodshop class at school. And from there, the idea was sprung! Caleb would make Judaic ritual objects out of wood and sell them, with all proceeds going to the non-profit of his choosing, Water for South Sudan.  Water for South Sudan delivers direct, transformative and sustainable quality-of-life service to the people of South Sudan by efficiently providing access to clean, safe water and improving hygiene practices in areas of great need.
Water for South Sudan1
For many months, Caleb built wood menorahs, each one unique. He applied the candle holders and sealing agents to each menorah. Ultimately, he made approximately 30 menorahs, all of which were displayed at his kiddush following his bar mitzvah. To date, approximately one dozen have been sold, raising several hundred dollars for Water for Sudan. The individuals at Water for Sudan are aware of Caleb’s bar mitzvah project and have been quite grateful.