A Bat Mitzvah for bold climate action

13-year-old Gyul’nara Barnett was worried about global warming. So worried that this eighth-grader from South Nyack, NY spent five months raising money in her community to help reverse global warming.

“I think that it’s a big thing. It scares me when I think of all the pollution that’s happened and global warming. In science that’s a lot of what we’re learning about. About global warming and what it’s doing, so it’s kind of on my mind and I thought, what better way to help than to raise money?

As part of her Bat Mitzvah, a rite of passage that marks the beginning of Jewish adulthood at age 12 or 13, Gyul’nara’s temple asked her to complete a community service project, called a “Very Mitzvah Project.” So she got to work making over a dozen bags, purses, and wallets out of 20 rolls of duct tape. She then sold the goods to her family and friends, and donated all the money to 1Sky with a note asking us to, “Please, please, please use the money…to help make the government more aware of the drastic measures we need to take to [ensure] the safety of everyone and everything in upcoming years.”

Although there are many climate organizations out there, Gyul’nara chose 1Sky because she felt our organization best fit her family’s values. Articulate well beyond her years, she told us, “There’s just something about the whole approaching the government thing. I think I like that. I agree that you need to talk to the government to talk to the most power.”

Many of Gyul’nara’s peers also completed Very Mitzvah Projects, but hers was pretty remarkable in its size and scope. Her friends, she said, “thought it was really cool that I was doing something this big and this time-consuming.”

We think it’s pretty cool too! We are so impressed by Gyul’nara’s dedication and passion at such a young age, and proud that she was able to so successfully involve her community in the fight against climate change.

So thanks for setting such a good example for the rest of us, Gyul’nara, and keep up the great work!