“There is a Jewish quote from The Talmud that says, ‘If you save one life, it is as if you have saved the whole world,” Mrs. Rosalie Goldberg begins. “I might be only making a difference for one person, but it means so much to them.”

Using this quote as inspiration, Mrs. Goldberg joined a growing movement and donated ten inches of her hair three weeks ago to Locks of Love, a non-profit organization which uses donated hair to create hairpieces for children suffering from long-term medical hair loss.

“I started growing my hair for my wedding in the fall of 2005, and after the wedding, I just kept growing it,” she said.

Goldberg got the idea of donating her hair to Locks of Love from a fellow math league coach she worked with who had participated before.

“It’s something you can do to help someone else that is so easy,” said Mrs. Goldberg. “If I can help someone, especially a child, then that’s great!”

Locks of Love specifically provides hairpieces to financially disadvantaged children, most of whom have lost their hair because of an incurable medical condition called alopecia areata.

They strive to bring a sense of normalcy and confidence to children who might otherwise have low self-esteem or be subject to teasing or exclusion.

While she is currently enjoying shorter hair, she hopes to donate again in the future.

“The last six or seven months, my long hair was driving me nuts,” she jokes. “It’s something you can do to help someone else that requires no major sacrifice––it was so easy for me to do.”