In the leadup to Lag B’Omer, Yeshivat Frisch has been remembering Donny Morris z”l, one of 45 people lost in the Meron tragedy one year ago.
Donny was kind, thoughtful and considerate in his everyday life to those around him—qualities that make a big impact on one’s friends, family and community, yet that everyone can emulate.
To commemorate Donny’s yahrzeit, Frisch faculty member and Judaic Studies Learning Center Director Shira Kronenberg (Donny’s aunt) addressed each grade and introduced a series of activities all about further enhancing the yeshiva’s community of kindness in tangible ways. Kronenberg emphasized to the students that what came forth in all the stories from friends and family about Donny was the way he would genuinely ask people how they were doing, the little gifts he would bring to iShine friends, how he made a point of phoning his grandmother every Thursday because she liked to get calls in advance of the Erev Shabbat rush—and so many other seemingly small moments that were actually of special significance to people’s lives.
“The goal is to focus on bringing simcha to others in memory of Donny and his upcoming first yahrzeit,” explained Kronenberg. “The one thing that became clear to my family was that without even realizing it Donny made a huge impact on others by doing simple acts of kindness to and for others. When we bring simcha to others we also bring simcha to ourselves. Sometimes we think we need to make huge commitments; The goal of this week was to focus on just trying to find little ways to make someone’s day. I always looked forward to my Erev Shabbos calls from Donny, that one little phone call would always make my week. I may have been Donny’s aunt, but he taught me so much and continues to make a huge impact on my life now.”
Throughout the week, the Frisch community has been partaking in various acts of kindness in Donny’s memory—accepting toys and games to be donated to I-Shine, selling Shabbat O’Grams, having thank you cards students can send to their teachers and more. Quotes reminding everyone to do acts of kindness have been made into stickers and posters, along with the message of “Do It for Donny,” to remind students how small acts can make someone’s day. May Donny’s neshama have an aliyah, and may all klal Yisrael be zoche to fulfill acts of kindness and chesed.