After Ludwig Van Beethoven died, mourners clipped so much of his hair that when he was finally buried, the great composer was practically bald. Almost two hundred years later, a man in Arizona paid $7,300 for 582 strands of Beethoven's hair. That calculates to $12.54 for each sliver of hair. Beethoven's hair, apparently, is very valuable.

On a muggy day last August, eleven-year-old Mara Herling clipped almost 14 inches of her golden hair. Mara is not as famous as Beethoven, but her hair is more valuable because she donated it to Locks of Love. This amazing organization gives hairpieces to children who have lost their hair due to a skin disease called alopecia areata (al-oh-PEE-sha air-ee-AH-tah), which afflicts more than 4 million Americans. Although it's not life-threatening, alopecia can have a powerful effect on a child's self-image and self-confidence. The wigs from Locks of Love help kids feel better about themselves. "I saw my face in the mirror, framed in something beautiful," said Monica, a recipient of a Locks of Love wig. "I looked like a normal junior high school girl," she beamed.

Mara donated her hair as a loving tribute to her grandmother, Harriet, who lost her battle with cancer when Mara was eight years old. "She was a very caring person," Mara recalled, her voice thick with emotion. "After she lost her hair, she wore a bandanna when I visited so I wouldn't be afraid." The memories of her grandmother's pain, and Mara's desire to prevent others from experiencing it, motivated her to grow her hair so she could donate it to Locks of Love. "I saw how hard it was for my grandmother to lose her hair," she said, "and I didn't want any little girls to go through that.

"I've always loved my hair; its color, its thickness, everything except the split ends," Mara laughs. "But donating it gave me a proud feeling inside," After Mara cut her hair, her friends and family admired her stylish new look, but she didn't dwell on her appearance. Instead, she thought about a girl who would soon be getting a priceless wig, and who once again would feel good looking in a mirror.

Jewishful Thinking

Tzedakah and gemilut hasadim may be hard words to translate into English, but Mara demonstrates that it’s not so hard to translate the ideas into action. The rabbis of the Talmud had their ideas of what these words meant:

Gemilut hasadim is greater than tzedakah in three ways:

• Tzedakah can be given only with one’s money; Gemilut h.asadim, both by personal service and with money.
• Tzedakah can be given only to the poor; Gemilut hasadim, both to rich and poor.
• Tzedakah can be given only to the living; Gemilut hasadim, both to the living and the dead.

(Sukkah 49b)

Look around; you will be inspired to find ways that you too can give to others!