BY NANCY KIRSCH | Henry Mayer, age 12, is out to change the world, one āSeedā at a time. How? By raising $10,000 to support Seeds of Peace, a New York-based nonprofit that brings teens from warring countries, as well as from the U.S., together at its summer camp in Maine and in year-round programs. āSeedsā are the 15- and 16-year-old teens who participate in the camp and other programs, all designed to change attitudes, teach coexistence and reconciliation, and build bridges to peace.
When they received the Sept. 11, 2010 bar mitzvah date from Temple Beth-El in Providence, Henryās mother, Layne Mayer, initially felt some discomfort about it. After further reflection, they decided that the date offered a real opportunity and, indeed, an obligation, to make a difference in the world. Doing something about peace for his mitzvah project just seemed to make sense to Henry, given that date. Temple Beth-El, like many synagogues, requires each bar or bat mitzvah student to take on a mitzvah project.
āThe way to get peace is through education; by changing attitudes and showing how other people live,ā said Henry, when he visited The Voice & Heraldās office recently to talk about his mission.
Henry used the Internet to do his research and when he found Seeds of Peace, he realized it was the mitzvah for him. Its Web site included quotes from Bill and Hillary Clinton and other famous people, said Henry. āI wanted to know my money is going for good … their [Seeds of Peaceās] goals were the same as mine.ā He sends out a newsletter about once a month through Constant Contact and encourages donations at www.firstgiving.com.
Henry, who has raised nearly $1,800 since he began fundraising on Sept. 11, 2009, and his mother visited the Seeds of Peace main office in New York City last month. āWe were absolutely honored and inspired by Henryās initiative and his commitment,ā said Leslie Lewin, the organizationās executive director, in a phone interview. āHeās smart and personable and motivated. We work with many inspiring young people and heās at the top of our list.ā
Founded in 1993, Seeds of Peace enrolls about 350 teens each summer at its International Camp in Otisfield, Maine. Many older Seeds work as camp counselors or as facilitators in programs run year-round in warring countries; and the organization has other offices in Amman, Cairo, Gaza, Jerusalem, Kabul, Lahore, Mumbai, Ramallah, Tel Aviv and Otisfield, Maine.
At 12, Henry is too young to be a Seed … yet. At the same time he expressed an intense wish to attend the camp, he wondered aloud whether heād make it through the āhuge and rigorous application.ā
The reaction from Seeds of Peaceās Lewin should reassure Henry. āWeād be lucky to have him as a Seed,ā she said. āHe already exhibits so much of what we hope to see our Seeds doing [to] respect and understanding various cultures and [to] making the world a better place.ā
With some 4,000 graduate Seeds, the organization has established an alumni organization that engages and connects alumni. Some of the organizationās oldest alumni are moving into careers in government and business, education and medicine, said Lewin. āWeāre thrilled to see them doing their work with Seeds of Peace [alumni] and with an outlook influenced by Seeds of Peace,ā she said.
Henry set a high goal for himselfāto raise $10,000 by his bar mitzvah; he will donate 10 percent of the money he receives in bar mitzvah gifts to Seeds of Peace. In his first public foray into fundraisingāat the Nov. 8 health fair at the Jewish Community Center of Rhode Island, he was interviewed by NBCās WJAR Channel 10. He has plans to fundraise at local stores and is about to launch a letter-writing campaign to foundations and politicians, including President Obama. And, when heās not writing his Constant Contact newsletter or doing other research, heās putting together plans to bring a speaker from Seeds of Peace to Providence in March 2010.
āHow will you feel if you donāt make your goal of $10,000?ā
āIāll keep trying even after my bar mitzvah,ā he said. āIf I make it [the goal] before, Iāll keep going.ā
āItās sort of new for me to do tzedakah,ā said Henry, though his mother isnāt surprised. āHeās insightful and has a good world view,ā Layne said. āHe was handed this responsibility [of having a bar mitzvah date on such an iconic anniversary] and he rose to it.ā
Henry is an all-American boyāhe plays sports every afternoon after school, plays board and card games with his family and texts his friends. āI do choresāI bring in the recycling bins and I walk my dog, Teddy ā¦ and sometimes Iām just bored.ā
He lives in Providence with his mother, his father Kurt, his brother Jackson and his sister Rose. An honors student at Nathanael Greene Middle School, Henry says his favorite subject is social studies, though he thinks historians are biased by showing only one side of the story. Given his desire to raise money for Seeds of Peace, it wasnāt surprising when he said, āI like to see both sides of the story. Knowing and telling both sides of the story is important.ā
