Jenna Kalishman, Congregation Shaare Emeth

“The horses that I ride regularly are well taken care of, but so many other horses are not. I wanted to be able to help those that are less fortunate,” said Jenna. Daughter of Diane and John Kalishman of Ladue, Jenna raised money for Longmeadow Rescue Ranch, a division of the Humane Society of St. Louis. Located near Union, Mo., Longmeadow provides a haven for abused and neglected farm animals.

Since Jenna was a young child, she has loved animals, especially horses. For her mitzvah project, she wanted to do something to help animals. Years ago, she visited Longmeadow Rescue Ranch and learned how they enabled neglected animals to be adopted into loving environments.  She was touched by the incredible care given to these animals and decided to help.

During open house days at Longmeadow, Jenna sold her homemade horse treats and delicious sweets to the visitors.  She also held a bake sale near her home and all proceeds were donated to Longmeadow to support the operations of the facility.

Jenna and her family designed her kiddush luncheon centerpieces around fresh produce for horses, which were donated to Longmeadow Rescue Ranch as well.  And, finally, Jenna donated a portion of her bat mitzvah money to the ranch to sponsor a horse in need.

A student at John Burroughs School, Jenna said, “Horse abuse and neglect is a big problem in the U.S., and a lot of them get sent to the slaughter house for no reason.

“I enjoy baking and I love horses. I wanted to do what I could to help more horses live comfortable lives, so this project was a great way to combine two of my interests.”