Students at the Yeshiva at the Jersey Shore in Deal took part in a Hanukka mitzva project on behalf of an Israeli organization that helps children who are battling cancer.

The first- and second-grade students at the yeshiva collected $100 for Zichron Menachem in Jerusalem, an organization that provides natural-hair wigs for children who have lost their hair as a result of illness.

And one first-grade student at the Deal yeshiva donated 10 inches of her hair to the organization.

Eden Garbi, six, of Oakhurst decided several months ago to donate her hair to Zichron Menachem as a mitzva project for Hanukkah. Her classmates at the yeshiva heard about her plan and wanted to express their support. Between September and the beginning of December, first and second graders collected $100 for the organization.

Eden had her hair cut at a local salon on Nov. 23. The hair and the tzedaka money were then mailed to Zichron Menachem in a package also containing a handmade Hanukka card from the yeshiva students.

The mitzva project was a perfect example of the concept of performing acts of tzedaka, which is an important part of the yeshiva's mission, said head of school Rabbi Elie Tuchman. The location of Zichron Menachem made the project especially meaningful to the students, particularly for Eden, who was born in Israel, Tuchman said.

"Israel and hesed [righteousness] are important components of our mission, and this is an excellent opportunity that combines both," Tuchman said. "The importance of giving to the broader community and being part of something bigger than ourselves is a critical lesson at our school. Helping children in Israel helps link us with the Jewish state, and helping those less fortunate is a mitzva our students will remember forever."

Several yeshiva students have decided to let their hair grow so that they will be able to make a donation next year, he added.

Zichron Menachem was established in 1990 and is named in memory of Menachem Ehrental, an Israeli boy who battled cancer for 14 years. His family and friends founded the nonprofit organization, which provides educational, recreational, therapeutic, and rehabilitative programs and activities in hospitals, patients' homes, and at its Jerusalem location. The organization, which is staffed by professionals and volunteers, also operates a guest house for the parents of out-of-town children who are undergoing treatment in Jerusalem hospitals.

All programs, activities, and facilities are available free of charge to any Israeli child who is stricken with cancer, regardless of religion, ethnic origin, or socioeconomic status.