During one of the most joyous times in her life, 13-year-old Mia Michaels decided to honor the survivors and victims of one of the darkest periods in history.

Mia’s parents, Larry Michaels and Tamar Elkeles, have been USC Shoah Foundation donors for over 10 years, and her grandfather Gidon Elkeles fled Nazi Germany at age three while many other relatives were killed in the Holocaust. When it came time for her to decide on a project for her bat mitzvah, she wanted to connect to her family history and learn about how her past is part of her future, Tamar said.

The family contacted USC Shoah Foundation and collaborated on a multi-faceted project for Mia’s bat mitzvah. First, Mia met several times with Auschwitz survivor Dr. Edith Eva Eger, whose testimony is in the Visual History Archive. She interviewed Dr. Eger about her life and wrote a school paper, a presentation and ultimately her bat mitzvah speech.

“In these meetings Mia learned what it takes to overcome adversity and how to find the positive in every situation,” Tamar said.

In her speech, Mia told Dr. Eger’s story of survival and shared what she had learned from her. Dr. Eger taught her how important it is to have a positive attitude, take initiative in life, and be curious.

“Edith’s advice for the next generation is to realize that there are no guarantees in life and you shouldn’t take life for granted. Live every moment,” Mia said. “Life isn’t always easy and there will be difficult times ahead. It’s important to stay positive and be a survivor not a victim.”

The second part of Mia’s bat mitzvah project was to visit Yad Vashem in Israel and participate in its “twinning” program. The program matches new bar/bat mitzvahs to a child who shares their birthday, name or place of origin who was murdered in the Holocaust before he or she could celebrate their own bar/bat mitzvah. Mia received a Page of Testimony about a girl named Elizabeth Backer, who was born on the same day as Mia in 1933.

Finally, in lieu of gifts, Mia asked guests of her bat mitzvah to donate to USC Shoah Foundation via a direct link on her bat mitzvah website. She raised over $8,000, and Tamar and Larry matched the donation twice. The family donated over $28,000 to USC Shoah Foundation.

"We can’t thank the Shoah Foundation enough for the support we received in order to make Mia’s Mitzvah project so meaningful. When we called former Executive Director of Development Steve Klappholtz to discuss potential options for Mia, Steve had the idea to have Mia connect with a Holocaust survivor who had given testimony. That led us to Dr. Eger,” Larry said. “Additionally, by connecting us with Jennifer Greenspan, Director of Constituent Relations, we were able to create a custom Mobile Giving page that enabled Mia to raise the funds from her friends and family in a simple and efficient way."

Dr. Eger said it was an honor and a great privilege to be part of Mia’s bat mitzvah.

“I am so grateful to Mia for allowing me, as a proud Jew and a survivor, to witness her strength and dedication. I see her as an ambassador for peace, who insures that the generations to come will not forget,” she said. “This beautiful young woman, with the spirit of a survivor, is here for a reason and gives all of us great hope for the future. She will go from strength to strength.”

Storytelling is an important part of sharing Jewish history, Tamar said. She encourages Mia to carry on the traditions of the Jewish community and to never forget her family’s history, and hopes other families consider incorporating USC Shoah Foundation into their mitzvah projects.

“Educating our children and our communities about tolerance and appreciation for differences is paramount for our present and future generations. Supporting the USC Shoah Foundation ensures our Jewish history and stories of survival will not be forgotten,” Tamar said. “It’s a mitzvah to connect our children to the Holocaust, emphasizing to them the importance of the strength and perseverance of the Jewish people.”

On behalf of USC Shoah Foundation staff and volunteers, we want to thank the Elkeles family for taking on such an inspiring project to celebrate such a meaningful time in Mia’s life. For more information about how to participate in a bar or bat mitzvah project, or any project of this nature, please contact the USC Shoah Foundation Annual Giving team at [email protected] or 213-740-5632.