By Laima Barber, Lubavitch.com
When Devorah Freundlich, 13, of Beijing, China, is not busy with her schoolwork, she’s popping cakes out of the oven in her mom’s kitchen. They are custom cakes—dolls, police trucks, snowmobiles—and the young entrepreneur is working creatively to please her delighted customers. But in less than two weeks, she’ll close shop. That’s when she hopes she’ll have reached her goal: to raise $5000.
For Devorah, the daughter of the Chabad representatives to Beijing, China, an afterschool visit with friends would mean a ten hour flight. That’s because she’s a student at an online international Jewish day school, and her classmates are as dispersed as any random group of web surfers might be. The casual afternoon drop-in to a friend’s house is truly as foreign to her as the culture on her doorstep.
Separated by thousands of miles, these girls nevertheless are bound by like realities that transcend language and geographic distances; in Beijing or Brisbane, they share a common context as the children of Chabad representatives who study in virtual classrooms at the Shluchim Office Online School. Despite all the drawbacks of this arrangement, Devora makes friendships that defy distances and that she hopes will grow to last a lifetime.
Once a year, at the annual Conference of Chabad Representatives, many of the girls travel along with their mothers to the Conference in New York. That’s when they get a chance to meet up close and experience their friendships in a three-dimensional reality.
At the Conference, the girls join a five day program that runs parallel to the women’s program, and allows them enjoy a social experience otherwise rare: hanging out with their peers, sharing Shabbat meals and late-night pillow talk during which they compare notes about their lives as junior Shluchos with each other.
This year’s conference is coming up January 26th, and Devorah is wishing that three of her online classmates would join her in New York. But airfare is prohibitive. So the eighth grader has decided to put her budding fundraising skills to work to cover the air fare for three of her classmates – two from Australia and one from Ukraine.
Her idea, to bake custom cakes in any variety of shapes and themes, and sell them at thirty dollars a piece, has taken off. So far, Devorah has sold more than thirty cakes, and has raised a thousand dollars.
She’s done the math and says she needs to sell at least another 100 cakes within the next two weeks, to make her goal.
“My goal is to raise enough money so I will be able to spend this special time with all my classmates,” said Devorah. “I am doing something I love – baking, to help out my friends, what could be better?”
Last Shabbos the eight grader’s dream was starting to seem a lot like reality. She had baked a welcome cake for a new girl in the school and presented it at the communal Shabbat dinner her parents host every Friday night. Guests at the table—many themselves from overseas—were so impressed by the young girl’s pluck, they decided to donate money to her cause. One gentleman donated the funds for one round trip ticket.
Devorah’s mother, Dini, trusts the project will succeed. “These are the Rebbe’s soldiers, children who live far away from friends and a “normal” Jewish environment. The Shluchim Office Online School is the lifeline for these children a whole year, with the kinus being the highlight for them, where they have a chance to interact with fellow children their age who face similar challenges.”
With the Conference only two weeks away, Devorah is turning cakes out of the oven as fast as she can, keeping her eye on the big prize: a trip to New York where she’ll get a week in hugging proximity to her classmates and friends.
you did an amazing job go divz go divz from your younger sister
It looks rilly yum and fancy !!!!!!!!!!!!!!
THIS LOOKS GOOD
DEVORAH THAT’S AMAZING!!!!
FROM GOLDY(SWEDEN)
go divz! i am so proud to be your older sister! i love you so much!!!!!!!!!
You must be a member of the Lipskar family!!!!!
it is so coollllllllllll.
Divs- we are so proud of you!
A true Shlucha of the Rebbe ZY”O.
We can’t wait to see you by the kinnus!
Love, your Uncle & Aunt in Crown Heights
thease cakes are so cool
I put this on my facebook page. So creative and proactive!
A cousin in Crown Heights
being two of those recipients, you have no idea how much this means to us devorah,
love your friends downunder!!!
luv, m. d. from camp in sweden!!
I MISSS UUUUUUUUUU!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
our teacher just told us this story… hahahahahahhaha
YOU’RE GR8
I have always known you are a special friend.
Tsiv
Terrific cakes! Your ahavas Yisroel inspired us all in camp.. and you’re still going strong, BH! You are a credit to your parents and your school! Can’t wait to see you at the online school celebration by the kinus, (and camp reunion!) beezras Hashem! L N, Sweden
well done devora!!!
great job!!
wow, ur trully something special!!
i wish i couldve been one of those 3 girls!!
i really want to come to the kinnus!!
girl from australia
r’eh g’dulim she’gedalnu!!! the Rebbe’s zya kinderlach
truly inspirational
who are the two girls from australia???
your achavas isroel is amazing and inspiring. The cakes are awesome. Good luck. Shluchim from Siberia, Russia. See you and your friend at the kinus beezras Hashem!
thats so amazing that 13 is doing that!!
and cakes look awesome!
divsssssss heyyyyyyyy i missssssss uuuu mwaaaaaaaaaaaaaa ur the best and btw i needa come visit u some time soon love ya forever and always
love me
Good job Devorah !!!
(From ur long lost cuz!!!!!!!!!!!!) Bassie
What amazing Ahavas Yisroel!
I am inspired by the ACTIONS, not just words like a lot of us say, of a young girl helping others!!!!!
You’re famous! I’m so impressed with this whole thing. So thoughtful of you to raise money to get your friend to the kinus.
THATS AMAZING!!
<3 MASHIE
We are so proud,u are giving our Rebbe ZY”O true nachas!
You are a true young shlucha giving us all so much Nachas,its from these acts of goodness and kindness that we will merit Moshiach Tzidkeinu!
Lots Of Love your very proud Aunt,Uncle and cousins in Johannesburg,South Africa!!
Lets give it to her amazing teachers- cos it’s the teachers who make the online school great!
But you are all mistaken- this phenominal Ahavas Yisroel comes from her upbringing. Her parents are doing something very right! Yasher Koach Rabbi and Mrs Freundlich- May you always have such beautifull nachas from her. The Rebbe certainly is!!
I’m one of those 3 girls….
Devorah no words can thank you!!!!!!
donate there, im sure theyll pass it on
rem our class??
you came last year for a week when you were in ny?
Shluchim Office Online School!
http://www.shluchim.org/main/default_os.asp
while I cant buy a cake (unless you ship international ;)) I want to help as well. How can I do this?
Can you please post an address to which donations can be sent? Thanks. Yasher koach!
Wow Dini, amazing!!! You should only have tons of nachas from her. That is something you would totally do as a young girl for you friends.
Tehila
It is amazing that the Shluchim Office is using the newest technology to connect kids around the world, enabling them to be in a classroom together, however far apart their shlichus may have landed them geographically.
This is trully bringing Nachas Ruach to the Rebbe and making sure these children remain firm in their yidishkeit and in their shlichus!
That such Ahavas Yisroel could come about through an organization like this, is beautiful to see!
Kol Hakavod to the Shluchim Office Online School and their star pupil Devorah Freundlich!!!!
that a young girl uses her talents and resources to help others.
AMAZING!!! FROM SOUTH AFRICA!! 🙂
You’re amazing!!!!
Devorie,
Raanana
wowowowowo!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
really nice!!!
ur os (was) classmate GO
amaizing!!!!!! dev, you rock!!!!!!!!!!!!!
ur OS classmate
-mushkie’s friend from az camp
BEAUTIFUL!!!!
The Shluchim Ofiice – Online School is Chabad’s greatest asset, helping shluchim educate their children even in Beijing , China. This story is just a small testimate to what this school achieves!
Great story, as always, from a truly respectable website! Lubavitch.com is a kovod to Chabad and to shluchim, and a nachas ruach to the Rebbe.
Dinie I am very impressed. Kol hakavod to your daughter. I want to participate and will make the connection.
Loads of nachas
Devorah, we are all soooooo proud of you. You are a true shlucha and an amazing friend and bh very talented! You should continue giving the Rebbe, your parents and all alot of nachas (the apple certainly does not fall far from the tree). Can’t wait to see you.
Lotsa love from your very proud family in Chestnut Hill.
wow, i am so impressed with your initiative, and with your talent! you are a real shlucha, may you be bentched with many brachos!
that is amazing! you are such a great girl! I got to see it first hand! Dini and Rabbi Tons of nachas! you guys are so inspirational!
SIncerely,
C Elishevitz
u roooccckkk!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
good job!!!! so cuteee!!!!!!
ur classmate from online school :):):) cn
i love it