Emily was chosen as Citizen of the Week in The Ambler Gazette. This article, by Amanda Rittenhouse, was featured in The Ambler Gazette on December 3, 2008:
Seventh-grade Sandy Run Middle School student Emily Zauzmer is delivering holiday and special occasion greetings this year via e-mail as a fundraiser for food allergy research.
Emily, of Dresher, who loves singing and acting,
created a colorful Web site selling her own original singing grams for every occasion titled www.EZgreetings.org.
The $5 singing grams are prerecorded by Emily and personalized for recipients who receive the messages.
She is raising the money for food allergy research as her bat mitzvah project.
Emily, 12, who is allergic to peanuts, sesame seeds, berries and legumes,
said she hopes to help others with food allergies and raise awareness of those
without allergies through her project. So far she has raised more than $1,000.
Emily said her original goal was to raise $500 and she said she is thrilled
that she surpassed that goal.
"I have food allergies and it's really scary to have them. I've always wanted to support a cause that
is so important and it really touches me," Emily said.
Debbie Cozen of Dresher purchased singing gram greetings from
Emily that she sent to family and friends across the United States. Cozen, a family friend of the Zauzmers,
said Emily has been interested in music and theater all of her life; she said it is great that Emily can put her
hobbies to use for a cause.
"Somehow she was able to put it all together so that something that she loves and holds so dear to her heart
such as singing is shining a light on and raising money for a cause that is also near
and dear to her," Cozen said.
Emily, who sang the national anthem at a Reno Silver Sox game in Nevada, a Camden Riversharks game in New Jersey and sang "Take Me Out to the Ballgame" at a Reading Phillies game, said she currently is most excited about her holiday singing grams. Emily started the project in March because she said she knew she wanted to do something for her bat mitzvah that combined her love of singing and the arts.
"It's been the most rewarding thing I've ever done. I want to raise as
much as I can and I hope do to this through singing grams," Emily said.
Emily said she plans to continue her bat mitzvah project into 2009.
"It's definitely on my 2009 agenda. I want to do it as long as I get orders because it's so much fun to receive a singing gram," Emily said.
The Jewish World on August 7, 2008:
Check out an interesting project of Emily Zauzmer of Dresher,
Penn. at www.EZgreetings.org. Bar and bat mitzvah kids are at an age of responsibility. Many people like to begin their responsible years with an impressive endeavor,
something special. Emily has started hers by founding a web site, EZgreetings.
EZgreetings sells singing grams, which are
web-based greeting cards. Choose an occasion and fill our the form. Emily has available 100 different grams noting a
variety of occasions. Write the name and e-mail address of the person whom you are honoring. Then Emily records
a song for the special occasion and sends it to the person.
"EZgreetings" is a fun name for her web site, because
her initials are E.Z. and her web site is an "easy" quick way of making someone's birthday or other simcha special.
EZgreetings is also an easy way for us to make
the world better. Each song from Emily costs the sender $5. Emily donates the money to help doctors and scientists to
research treatments and cures for food allergies.
Since food allergies are very dangerous, and sometimes a
person can die from an allergic reaction. Emily herself suffers from some very dangerous anaphylactic food allergies. Emily is
singing to help people survive.
"EZgreetings.org combines my love of singing and graphic arts
into my project, and it supports a cause that matters tremendously to me, food allergy research," says Emily. "Doing a
mitzvah project is hard work, but also lots of fun, and it leaves you with a great feeling about yourself!" she adds.
Emily's mom says, "Our family is very proud
of Emily for creating such an exciting mitzvah project! She has dedicated herself to this project for the past several
months already, and she hopes everyone will buy her singing grams!"
Emily's project is great. Think of something
you might like to do to begin your bar or bat mitzvah year with a fantastic start.