Spencer Weinstein is from Syosset, New York and celebrated his Bar Mitzvah in June of 2010. He decided on his wonderful Mitzvah Project after his Dad, Rabbi Jay Weinstein of Congregation Simchat HaLev told him about Robbie Levine, a 9 year old boy from Merrick, New York who died on a baseball field and might have been saved had an AED (automatic external defibrillator) was there.
Rabbi Jay asked us to share his son’s Mitzvah Project with our Mitzvah Market readers, so we asked Spencer a few questions about his project and here’s what he had to say in his own words:
MM: Can you give us details about your Mitzvah Project?
SW: I have purchased, from the gifts I received from my Bar Mitzvah, an AED, automatic external defibrillator for my synagogue (Simchat HaLev). The AED hopefully will never be used, but if needed, it could save a life and by donating this, if it saves a life, it will be as if I helped save the world.
MM: Why did you decide to take on this particular project?
SW: My Dad showed me an article and told me a story about an oral surgeon named Dr. Craig Levine, who saved his friend’s life at a Bar Mitzvah this past January. This doctor’s 9 year old son died on a baseball field in Merrick, New York in 2005. The field didn’t have an AED and by the time police arrived with one it was too late.
As a result of his son’s death, Dr. Levine and his family started a foundation called Forever 9: The Robbie Levine Foundation which provides youth sports leagues with AED’s.
Robbie Levine
I thought about it and realized that although Congregation Simchet HaLev is not a youth league it is an awesome Synagogue and Hebrew school. There are always kids, adults and families here and I would like to help protect them.
We think Spencer’s project is terrific and one that is easy for anyone to accomplish. To learn more about the Levine family and their foundation, click here.
