Heschel West students help tsunami victims

Heschel West’s students have donated more than $2,000 to the Southeast Asian tsunami relief effort. The effort was launched after CNN interviewed the students.

The fifth-graders at Heschel West spearheaded the effort and raised the funds in one week. The students had been studying tsunamis in the weeks prior to the Dec. 26 tsunami. On Mon., Jan. 3 a news crew from CNN came to Heschel West to film the schoolchildren’s understanding and reactions to the natural disaster.

Their responses, shown on the Paula Zahn Show, indicated a desire to help tsunami victims. The students discussed what they should donate: clothes, toys, books or money and finally agreed that a donation of money would be most useful.

"A goal at Heschel West is to teach our students what they can give back to the global community. We are so proud of our students for embodying this philosophy," said Principal Jan Saltsman.

Heschel West is a community Jewish Day School in Agoura.