Eighth grader Aaron Fig thought carefully when it came time to choose a charitable cause to support for his bar mitzvah earlier this year. When his mom suggested USC Shoah Foundation, it spoke to him, he said, and he enlisted his friends and family to help.

“I looked at the website and I thought it was really cool,” Aaron said. “What really stuck with me was the fact that [USC Shoah Foundation] is saving memories. It’s filming people saying their stories that will be archived forever.”

Before his bar mitzvah, Aaron sent an email to about 75 of his guests and others he thought would be interested, explaining that he had chosen USC Shoah Foundation as his Mitzvah Project and why supporting the Institute meant so much to him.

“When the witnesses are no longer here, who will remember their stories? They must not be forgotten,” he wrote.

He encouraged recipients to make a donation to USC Shoah Foundation on his behalf via a personalized donation link set up by the Institute’s advancement staff.

“I was scared I wasn’t going to get much presence [for my fundraiser], but I thought I was giving to the right company,” Aaron said. “But a lot more happened than I thought would.”

Within five minutes of sending the email, Aaron had received five donations. Ultimately, over half of the people who got the email made a donation to USC Shoah Foundation. The final amount Aaron raised is still being tallied.

Aaron’s grandmother is a Holocaust survivor, though he hasn’t heard too much about her experiences. He said testimony is one of the only ways we can keep the stories of survivors like her alive long after they’re gone.

“If a survivor hasn’t told their story and they’ve passed away, there’s no hearing it again,” Aaron said. “It’s so important to get the real stories of what actually happened, and have it forever.”

He hopes that by sharing his bar mitzvah project, other young people are encouraged to embark on their own projects to support USC Shoah Foundation and its mission.

“I hope someone sees what I did and it will inspire them to do it too,” he said.