Valerie
Harper, from left, Rabbi
Yerachmiel Benjaminson,
Rabbi Benjamin Brackman,
Dr. Ruth Westheimer, Joseph Hecht and
Donna McKechnie
signed their names on
the Joseph Papp Wheels for Life Bus.
Photo by Steve Shevett |
JOSEPH PAPP MEMORIAL FUND
Celebrities
Help Ukraine
From
Broadway with Love
galaxy of stars gathered on Broadway to keep the dreams of the late
producer Joseph Papp alive by sending off a life-saving bus to
Ukraine. Dubbed the Joseph Papp Wheels for Life Bus, the 24-foot
long vehicle will distribute food and medicine to the country’s
street children.
Matthew Broderick, Rosie Perez, Mandy
Patinkin, Valerie Harper and Jerry Stiller showed their
support by signing their names on the Life Bus.
The bus is a project of Tzivos Hashem, which
raised the money through its Joseph Papp Memorial Fund. The fund
supports the Benenson family orphanages, a food pantry and an eye
care clinic in Ukraine. Meryl Streep and James Earl Jones
inaugurated the bus fundraising at the first banquet in 2000 of the
Joseph Papp Memorial Fund.
Tzivos Hashem executive director Rabbi Yerachmiel
Benjaminson said that Papp, the legendary Broadway entrepreneur,
“was never afraid to dream big. His vision gave us the strength to
chase the dream of helping homeless children.”
The U.S. government, with the help of the
Children of Chernobyl Relief Fund, will transport the bus to Ukraine
free of charge.
Adina Moskowitz of Great Neck, Long
Island, conceived the idea of a life bus following a heartbreaking
visit to Zhitomer, Ukraine. A six-year-old street child approached
her, and Moskowitz was pained to see the little girl’s hollow
cheeks and tattered clothing.
Her guide, Rabbi Benjy Brackman, director of
Tzivos Hashem in the CIS, said there were 5,000 street children in
Ukraine. About 10 percent are Jewish.
Moskowitz’s impassioned plea on behalf of the
poorest children of Ukraine touched many hearts, especially Joseph
Hecht who helped raise funds in the Great Neck Jewish community.
Besides bringing food packages to homeless
children, the Life Bus will cruise the streets with counselors from
the orphanage who will try to persuade the kids off the streets into
caring halfway homes. When the bus is free, the orphans will be
treated to ice skating trips and other activities.
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