GAIL WHITE For their mitzvah project, Liberty twins go patriotic

While celebrating the birthday of our country today, Jaclyn and Samuel Silverman of Liberty will be celebrating a birthday of their own.
The Silverman twins turn 13 today. Being of the Jewish faith, this birthday holds tremendous importance for this brother and sister. This is the year of their B'nai Mitzvah. Jaclyn and Samuel have been preparing for this event for many years.
"We started Hebrew school in third grade," Jaclyn explains.
"You go to Hebrew school, then study and memorize parts of the Torah and meet with the Rabbi," Samuel said, summing up the process.
Impressed with his explanation, Jaclyn responds, "That's pretty good, Samuel. You learned more than me, and I didn't even get in trouble all the time like you."
Indeed, the twins have studied and prepared long and hard for their B'nai Mitzvah. One of the final requirements on their road toward adulthood was to perform a community service. The word mitzvah is described by the twins as "a good deed, caring for others and taking time to make a difference toward mankind and the world."
The twins have performed many mitzvah acts, volunteering their time gift-wrapping at the mall during the holidays, decorating veterans' graves for Memorial Day and volunteering at the LPGA.
Appropriate theme
Yet, it is only fitting that twins born on the most patriotic day of the year would choose a patriotic mitzvah project.
"We found out our uncle was going to be shipped out," Samuel shares.
The twins' uncle is known in the Army as 1st Lt. John A. Giannini of the 257th Transportation Company. He is in charge of 75 soldiers.
To Jaclyn and Samuel, he is Uncle John, a man whom they clearly adore. Each child has an old uniform of their uncle's.
Samuel wears his uniform when he plays paint ball.
"Did you know the army uses paint balls to practice?" he says with authority.
"I just wanted to have it," Jaclyn says of her uniform.
Janine, the twins' mother, produces a picture of the twins when they were less than 3 months old being held by their Uncle John. It was taken shortly before John was sent overseas to fight in Desert Storm.
Thirteen years later, Uncle John has been sent to fight for freedom again.
"Our uncle was called to serve in the war with Iraq," a letter from the twins to friends and family explains. "In March their unit was deployed to Kuwait. ... We are asking our friends to help us send care packages to our U.S. troops in his unit, to let them know we care about them."
Many pitch in
The response has been tremendous.
"We thought if people gave one or two things, that would be good," Janine says. "They brought bags and bags."
Care package items encircled the Silvermans' dining room. More than 60 boxes have been sent to Uncle John's unit.
In each package, the twins have included a note. It concludes, "We are hoping that our uncle and everyone comes home safe. We hope all of you enjoy the packages. We send our prayers with all. God bless all our troops."
In mid-June, the twins received mail telling them how much their mitzvah was appreciated.
"My name is Danielle Glunk. I am a 22-year-old female in the 257th Transportation Company. ... My platoon and I received your care box in the mail. We would all like to thank you for thinking of us and taking the time to put such a great care box together. It means a lot to all of us."
The project has meant a lot to the Silverman twins as well. They are simply beaming with the success of their mitzvah project.
While Jaclyn and Samuel celebrate their birthday and the nation's birthday today, the celebration of their B'nai Mitzvah has been delayed until September.
Their patriotic mitzvah simply wouldn't be complete without Uncle John who will, hopefully, be back in the states at the end of August.
gwhite@vindy.com