Santa's Jewish Helper
by Emily Raij
There is some irony in a Jewish mom starting a Secret Santa program at her kids’ school, but those who know Erika Ben-Zeev and her equally giving family are not surprised at all. In fact, it was a Ben-Zeev family friend who suggested J Life cover this local holiday helper.
A Central Florida native, Erika and her husband Ron raised kids Alana, Ari, and Alexa in the area. All three attended Dommerich Elementary, Maitland Middle, and Winter Park High School (WPHS). Erika was always very involved at her kids’ schools, serving as PTA president during their middle- and high-school years. While she was PTA president at WPHS 10 years ago, Erika noticed that some of her kids’ classmates lacked basic necessities and were living meal to meal. She wanted to do something to help and discussed her concern with the assistant principal, who brought the issue to the guidance counselor.
“The guidance counselor started identifying kids in need, kids living in cars,” explains Erika.
From there, the Secret Santa program began. Students’ names are, of course, kept anonymous, but if they want, they can answer a questionnaire to detail their shoe and clothing sizes and provide holiday wish lists to their counselor that include everything from shampoo and bus passes to gift cards and toys for younger siblings. The school nurse has also become part of the team.
Those wish lists are then given to Erika, who posts them on Facebook and promotes the program via word-of-mouth right before Thanksgiving. Using a simple, anonymous identification system, Erika says anywhere from 15 to 40 students’ lists are published each year. And fellow parents, friends, and community members often sponsor those lists within 24 hours. Wish lists can be split among a group of donors, and Erika also purchases additional gift cards for each child. All lists are fulfilled before winter break, with the gifts given discreetly to students at school or delivered to their homes.
“I have alumni from Winter Park High who don’t live here or have kids here, and they all want to donate,” says Erika. “Others live in Winter Park, so they want to give back to these kids.”
For the Ben-Zeevs, it’s a family affair. While students at WPHS, Erika’s kids always helped drop gifts off at the school – gift wrapped and ready to go. Now, as alumni who don’t even live in town anymore, they post the wish lists on their own Facebook pages. Alana works for BBYO in Chicago and lives in a Moishe House, a Jewish community where young adults live and learn together. Ari lives in Dallas and works remotely for the company Ron cofounded, World Housing Solution, which manufactures deployable, sustainable shelters for the U.S. military, NGOs, and first responders. Alexa just made Aliyah and joined the Israeli Defense Forces (IDF).
An empty nester for the first time, Erika misses her daughters’ freshly baked challah and Shabbat dinners together as a family, but she is proud all three continue to support WPHS students in need.
“This year, my kids actually had friends who donated,” Erika says. “Alumni stay involved. It truly does make a difference and people do care.”
Even a pandemic didn’t stop the program this year.
“As generous as our community is, they were even more generous,” Erika says of this year’s donors.
With job losses and increased food insecurity continuing into 2021, another program Erika started years ago at the high school became even more critical during this time, as well: a food pantry.
“Years ago, I started a pantry with jackets, shoes, shirts, toiletries, and feminine products, so kids could go in there when needed,” says Erika, who adds that current WPHS parents head up the pantry now, and WPHS coach and teacher Craig Russell and his wife, fellow WPHS teacher Kate Demory, run clothing and food drives for students year-round.
“It kind of just happened organically,” Erika continues. “I just saw that there was a need.”
Ten years later, Erika continues to run the Secret Santa program, even though she works full-time and her youngest child graduated high school five years ago.
If Erika were to post her own wish list, it would probably feature one simple desire: to help even more students.
“Sometimes, for me, it was frustrating because I knew there were more kids who needed help, but the guidance counselor could only give me wish lists for the kids who came forward,” Erika explains. “I love doing it. I love helping.”