A girl with complex special needs including autism raised more than £5,000 for charities from a series of challenges in advance of her batmitzvah at New North London Synagogue at the weekend.

During a year of good deeds, Blu Cohen-Grazin distributed challahs to 35 families for a month for Sightsavers International; took part in the Maccabi GB fun run in aid of learning disability charity Langdon; completed a “freezing water challenge” to raise funds for famine relief in Somalia and joined a cycling fundraiser in Italy for Bullies Out.

But she told the JC that “probably the hardest challenge was the Shine walk through London for Cancer Research, although it was also the most enjoyable”.

Along the way, Blu has garnered the support of MPs, with Angela Rayner and Caroline Nokes sending congratulatory videos that were shown at her batmitzvah party.
She visited Parliament with her mum Natalie to raise concerns over the shortcomings of special-needs provision in schools.

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Blu Cohen-Grazin

Blu cited a lack of understanding of autistic and special- needs pupils among teaching staff, arguing that “many schools use points-based rewards systems, which studies show do not work for neurodivergent minds. Absurd points systems will not incentivise me at all.

“Waiting lists for mental-health support are unacceptably long and pupils are sometimes physically restrained, not always for good reason. This has happened to me.”
Labour Chief Whip Nick Brown hosted her for Prime Minister’s Questions and Leeds North East MP Fabian Hamilton invited her to the Members’ tearoom.

“I’ve spent a lot of time at the Women and Equalities Committee and so I’ve really got to know Caroline Nokes [its chair], who is so lovely. I’ve also had a long conversation with a hereditary peer about whether there should still be hereditary peers, which was fascinating.”
She aspires to be an MP, activist and writer.

At her batmitzvah, Blu discussed her charity challenges in conversation with New North London’s Rabbi Jonathan Wittenberg, explaining why the beneficiaries meant so much to her.

Her family thanked the synagogue for “showing what autism inclusion really can be”.

https://www.justgiving.com/crowdfunding/blu-cohen-grazin

A video documenting Blu’s charity efforts can be viewed here: