Bergen Rabbi Uses Teddy Bears To Spread Peace In The Middle East

BERGEN COUNTY, NJ — While it may not have the impact that signing a peace accord or non-aggression pact does, Rabbi Claire Ginsburg Goldstein is using teddy bears to foster peace.

In the 15 years since she founded Bears From Bergenfield, Goldstein has distributed 180,000 stuffed animals to children in Israel. The animals, along with toys and any other items Goldstein can send, are given to Jewish, Muslim and Christian kids.

Goldstein hopes the bears build bridges of communication between children and families of different faiths.

"Children aren't born to hate and discriminate," Goldstein said. "Children are born to love and be loved, to be held, embraced and be cherished as important and significant humans."

Goldstein first got the idea to use stuffed animals as agents of peace from her son. He received a stuffed dog when he was sick in the hospital and loved it. Now. Goldstein and her son want to share that feeling with others and teach kids about the joy of giving.

"People ask, 'why send a toy to Israel?' Taxes are very high over there and they pay two to four times what we pay for the same stuffed animal," Goldstein said. "The kids really enjoy them."

Goldstein uses her garage as a holding place for the plush toys. She gathers up enough of them, puts them into a duffel bag and sends them to Israel. Volunteers then deliver them to children's hospitals, terror attack victims and children with special needs.

The giving experience is meant to help the children receiving the stuffed animals, but the people giving them.

"The idea is to teach kids that they more they have, the more they can give away," Goldstein said.

For more information about Bears From Bergenfield, click here.

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Photo: Rabbi Claire Ginsburg Goldstein with children and some of the stuffed animals people donated to Bears From Bergenfield, the nonprofit she founded 15 years ago./Courtesy of Rabbi Claire Ginsburg Goldstein