Liel: A Short Life With a Huge Impact
With all that Liel experienced, overcame, endured, and accomplished in just 21 years, it’s impossible not to wonder how profoundly she could have changed the world had she lived to old age.
As a teenager, Liel began Tik Toking to share her unique perspectives on life and her health journey, amassing 400,000 followers, with some of her videos reaching over a million views. She also had a devoted livestream following of teens, giving them hope that life could and would get better, often providing the suicide hotline number before signing off. Liel didn’t just talk about helping others—she actively did the work. She:
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Learned ASL and was a “Big Sister” to a deaf girl for years
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Was a “reading buddy” at a North Minneapolis elementary school
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Interned at OneTrack International, a nonprofit reuniting orphans of war and famine with family in their home villages
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Sold raffle tickets to raise money for children's scholarships at the JCC
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emailed politicians and attended rallies, supporting marginalized communities
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Regularly assembled and personally distributed food bags to un-housed people
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Authored a book to demystify mental health for children and teens
When she was feeling well enough, Liel chose to live with her beloved “Aunty Dora.” Dora Zaidenweber was a Holocaust survivor whom Liel had known and loved since she was 3 years old. Despite their 78 year age-gap, the two shared a deep and extraordinary bond. 👉 Read “Liel and Dora” on the Times of Israel blog
During her last two years, Liel’s health required her to zoom into classes and write papers from hospital beds or while on hospice. Despite this, she graduated Summa Cum Laude and received her department’s two most two prestigious awards for academic achievements and promise in the field of Community Health. We are grateful to Hofstra’s School of Community Health for ensuring Liel could continue learning remotely, and for the unforgettable graduation ceremony they planned for her - a moving tribute to her grit, determination, intelligence, and to the impact she had on those around her. In honor of Hofstra’s unique dedication to its students, we established a scholarship for students studying Community Health in Liel’s memory.
Please take some time to learn about all that Liel packed into her too brief, but remarkable life—one that made the world, and the lives of so many people within it, immeasurably better.
