Featured Volunteers: Daniella and Olivia Pogir

At just 13 years old, twin sisters Daniella and Olivia Pogir are already exemplifying a commitment to building Jewish community and relationships.

For the past eight months, the Orlando girls – who will soon celebrate their bat mitzvahs – have volunteered monthly with Jewish Pavilion Senior Services (JPSS). As volunteers, they bring music, prayer, food, and connection to their Jewish elders at two senior living communities in Central Florida.

On the first Thursday of each month, the twins help lead a warm, interactive shared Shabbat experience for the seniors.

“A lot of them can’t drive anymore, and the places where they live don’t always do Jewish things,” says Olivia. “So we like to bring Shabbat dinners to them. I love doing it.”

What the girls cherish most are the relationships they’ve built with the residents.

“They tell us stories from their childhood and their lives,” says Daniella. “They don’t always have people to talk to, so they get really excited when we visit.”

Adds Olivia, “A lot of their families are busy or live far away, so it’s really nice that we get to visit them.”

One moment that stood out for the girls, and their mother Rebecca Kemp, happened after a Hanukkah celebration. One resident told Olivia and Daniella that she looks forward to attending JPSS-sponsored events in her community because the twins make the celebrations so fun.

The Shabbat and holiday services are open to everyone, Jewish and non-Jewish alike. The residents don’t simply observe, they also sing along, share stories, and linger afterward to connect with the girls and one another.

“We invite anyone who wants to come,” says Daniella. “One woman isn’t Jewish, but she has Jewish grandchildren, and she loves learning the traditions.”

Originally from Johannesburg, South Africa, the twins moved to the United States with their family during the COVID-19 pandemic, an abrupt transition that made volunteering even more meaningful. Despite full schedules, including school, competitive gymnastics, guitar, and sewing, they plan to keep volunteering after their bat mitzvahs this spring.

Says Olivia, “It’s fun, and it feels really good to do.”