Real Role Model: Chana Yerushalmi

by Tammy Aryeh, age 11, from NY

Three weeks before her Bat Mitzvah, Chana Yerushalmi was stressed out about school and was very excited for her upcoming Bat Mitzvah. She always had a love for music, so she would habitually hum original tunes during her free time. She would also add her own lyrics that expressed how she was feeling. Chana found that writing songs was a great way to unwind. She composed a song and sang it to her mother, who provided her with encouraging words: “even if you don’t see yourself as a singer, do it anyway!”

Soon afterwards, Chana’s grandmother passed away. She decided to write a song to express her feelings about the loss. Chana continued writing songs about the hard times she went through. She also wrote about how wonderful Shabbos is, as well as things she loved about Judaism. Chana decided to write songs to inspire young girls. In another song, she wrote about not wasting time: “time goes by, time goes by fast.”

Chana finally had six songs written. Her mother loved these songs and together they decided to record a CD. At her Bat Mitzvah, Chana handed out her CDs to all the guests. She appreciated the support that her family and friends offered to her while she was making her CDs. They said, “Don’t give up! Keep following your dreams!” She started working on a second CD which is still in progress. People even started asking Chana to perform for them. 

Chana intends to give most of the money she earned through the CD sales to help her mother publishbooks and to help the needy. Chana is still working to make more CDs so that she can express herself and help others. She truly believes that you should fulfill your dreams. Don’t be shy or embarrassed to tell anyone about your ideas. It could really impact other people’s lives. Chana’s CDs have already had an impact on others. One girl told her, “If you were able to do something this big, then maybe I could do something like this too!”