#tzedaka

[unbidden-yidden-deactivated20240]

This campaign is still active and fundraising for the next 5 days or so - please donate and/or boost if you can.

[Posted 12.25.2023]

[leahbasavraham]

how do we feel about my rough translation ?

[psychologeek]

I don't know those people, and don't have the energy to verify it, but it's important.

I always recommend checking any donation/gfm links you get, but assuming it's legit - this is pure life saving

(you want to help - here's how you can)

a former classmate of mine shared this fundraiser for her family that is aiming to leave gaza

[handmedownpocketpussy]

1 litro de rico fanesca con higos por $10!

[bdkinz]

Audio - Lessons in Tanya 64

Continuation of chapter 37. We continue to explore how to bring out light from our actions. The discussion is the overarching value of charity for enhancing our actions while also dealing with a previous notion that study is equal to all actions, including acts of kindness/charity. We reflect on how both study and action are elements needed to reveal the light of the divine hidden away in the…

[laineystein]

Do you have any tips for not completely falling apart right now? I know everyone always knocks your positivity but its actually one of my favorite parts of following you so I figured if I should ask someone it would be you. Thank you for always being a light…and only answer when you feel up to it. I know you have alot going on right now!

First off, thank you! That’s so kind 🥰

Honestly, it’s kind of okay to fall apart. I wouldn’t expect anything less of any Jew right now. Let yourself feel the pain and lean into those emotions and ideally channel them into something better - action to bring the hostages home, a mitzvah or tzedaka, etc.

When you’re done falling apart? Or during? Hug the people you love so so tight. Hold on for just a bit longer than usual. Take care of yourself - rest and self care are key. Do the things that make you feel like you and do them with people that know you best. Daven - be mispallel for the hostages we’ve lost and the hostages that have yet to come home. Celebrate - lean into simchas and let yourself feel joy and pride at these traditions that have always kept our people going. Dance - because you can. And love your fellow Jew - ahavas chinam always. That is the only way out of this.

Sending so much love your way. We’ll get through this IYH 💙

[unbidden-yidden-deactivated20240]

🎉 Looks like she's exceeded her goal! 🎉

If anyone wants to directly help a Palestinian family reunite in the UK, this young graduate student is trying to get her daughter out of Gaza. The UK government makes the visa process as difficult as possible, and the only thing that makes it easier is money. This fundraiser has already raised a good sum, but I know from experience that every penny counts, so please donate or share if you can.

[hero-israel]

I wanted to apologize again for the rant. I barely remember writing it (which is kinda terrifying). I saw your suggestion to breathe and I’m trying lol. But I saw that it angered a number of people in the notes and I wanted to reiterate:

-I try and fight by finding information that combats the vast array of misinformation and spread the correct information. I’m an anxiety ridden non confrontational person and people online tend to be five times more eloquent than me. So basically all I can do is “spread the word.” The more people see the whole picture, the better, right? With my own mental struggles, I’ll see some horrid information, try and find where it came from and how it spread. When it’s everywhere ( on so many news outlets) and I don’t know what to do, I freak out. The awful Congo rumors are an example. Given the government has pulled back on those words, the best thing to call them at this point are rumors, right?

It’s surreal where I am. I am well aware I’m privileged. I count my blessings, and I worry over those that don’t. (Every story and testimony I hear about the female hostages in particular make me feel helpless and sick to my stomach. So much talk about the crisis women in Gaza are facing, but nothing about the conditions of female hostages. You have to actively search to find out, and it’s usually independent sources spreading the word of what released hostages have said).

And all of the conflict where I am is online. In the outside world, off of the local college campus, (which I think I said. I apologize again, I think I wrote the previous message in a panic,) people are only interested in their coffee. I count myself lucky that I have yet to encounter real life anti semitic situations when I know they’re happening a few hours away from me in larger cities. I am in no financial/economical position to volunteer in Israel to help relocate and aid the displaced in the south, as it came to my attention that there are international volunteers going over. I found out about Stand Together, which I tend to look into. I heard it’s a good organization. And then there’s….Tzedaka? Idk. I just know there are some good Israeli based organizations that give aid, but I can’t remember their names. I’d recognize them if someone said them.

I’m astonished I wrote that much? So I’m going to have to step back. I at least know domestically, I can help by getting the right people elected and combat misinformation. Biden will at least give everyone the freedom to fight with words. Trump would take away freedom of the press and chop free speech in half first chance he gets. I wonder about Nikki Haley, but I’m skeptical she will win the primary.

I don’t understand a lot of what’s going on because I feel like I keep wandering through muck. but I try. When I don’t get what I’ll looking for through news sources, I ask here. It’s easy to tell when news is biased these days and what’s telling the whole story these days. I think I struggle to comprehend how small Israel is sometimes and the idea of everyone being out on the field. (And I understand it’s a privilege to struggle to comprehend such a thing, if that makes sense). I keep thinking there must be people at their homes to fight the government when the government is being stupid, like the protests that happened during COVID, while at the same time I read today about a 95 year old man volunteering to work in the IDF. I try and figure out what’s going on with the regular every day people in Israel, knowing there’s active IDF and volunteers helping the displaced and any Gazans fleeing (though I think the border at the moment is closed, I could be wrong). Is it like Ukraine where quite literally anyone that is physically and economically able to do something is doing something to help?

I read yesterday that a vote may be held? That makes me hopeful. But it’s rare to vote a prime minister or president out of office in the middle of war. And it came to my attention that Israeli politics are as divided as American politics are. I knew they were divided before the war began, as I knew about the two massive protests that happened. I didn’t realize /how/ divided they were until recently. It seems are just more lines drawn in the sand in Israel than there are in the States, and there are more factions and coalitions in Israel. And while there’s not as many lines drawn in the States, the existing lines run deep, and they’re getting vicious. I don’t know how bad the lines drawn are in Israel.

So uh yeah, to everyone, I’m sorry for any misunderstandings. I ramble more than I am eloquent. I’ll take my anxiety ridden butt offline for the moment. I’ll come back better. And thank you specifically for reminding me to breathe

The responses from Israelis on the original post are worth reading.

I didn't have the time or space to address every point of the first post and I still don't for this one, but I can say this much:

When someone is struggling with anxiety, it can leave them prone to doom-spirals even during "normal" levels of bad news. Right now for every Jew except the ~240,000 remaining Holocaust survivors, the news is worse than we've ever seen in our lives. We are all feeling overwhelmed and unsure how to help, how to chip in. If it has indeed reached the level of panic - which you described as severe enough to leave you with "missing" time / actions - it's okay to really take some time off from this, to get help. It's okay to set a literal timer on your phone for how much you engage - to give yourself one hour every other day, and stick to it. No one is helped by a person getting so deep into crisis that they can't function.

You mentioned the programs where people can travel to Israel to help keep farms operational and stuff care packages for displaced families - perhaps you yourself aren't in a position to do that, but could you instead try to encourage other people to do it? Can a local synagogue recommend a phone-banking effort?

The Congo stuff is not a "rumor" - it is "jerking off." Someone idly speculating / wishing to do something which they have neither power nor mechanism to do. It is significantly less real than the time Trump talked about buying Greenland; put it in that context.

Israel is a tiny country, with genocidal fascist militias parked on its northern and southern borders; the reason they can't just pull out of the West Bank is because if not properly managed it would immediately turn into another Gaza but bigger and on top of a mountain range with all of Israel's biggest cities at the bottom. The country is now forced to mobilize for self-defense in a way most Americans can't imagine; if my math is correct, about 4% of the entire population is on active duty within Gaza now, and they all left their families and day jobs behind.

Your prior post asked "can't sensible Israelis stop Netanyahu?" - they've been trying very hard and the outside world has no clue. There were massive protests and riots near-nonstop for a year, including a general strike that shut down the entire country - shut down the hotels and the airport! - that actually managed to get the judicial overhaul postponed. When it did come back, it was in a weaker form (still awful), and then the courts were able to erase the very worst of it and postpone other parts. As an American who has done my fair share of door-to-door canvassing, protesting, and """awareness-raising""", I wish American progressives and centrists had been that successful when it came to, say, the Iraq War, or gun control, or protecting Roe...

There is no imminent vote on the current government (there are municipal elections coming very soon, but those are less important). The next national election - the kind you're thinking of - is October 2026. Which is awful to think about and I sincerely hope the government collapses long before then, as Israeli governments have tended to do for the last 5-6 years.

In general, the most reliable news sources are TOI and Ynetnews, and I listed some good resources here.

I hope this was somewhat helpful and that you are able to reach a better place while still finding a way to defend our community.

[genderlessfratboy]

Okay, so we finished “Nobody Wants This,” and I loved it. Love, love, love.

Adam and Kristen’s chemistry was on fire, I laughed the whole way through, and the pacing felt right. It was genuinely enjoyable in a way I haven’t felt about something from Netflix in awhile.

And, speaking as the Jewish half of an interfaith marriage, I loved the ending of season one, especially. Spoilers after the cut.

Episode 10 opens and I am so sure that Joanne is going to convert. It’s so obvious this is how they’re going to wrap this up with a bow, and I’m a sucker for a happy ending so I can’t complain too much.

That said, the engine gleeful shock I got when she didn’t. And when he picked her over the head rabbi role??? I SCREAMED!

I am Jewish, even considered rabbinical school for awhile. My wife is not, and she has no plans to be either. And she and I love our Jew-ish home. We do Shabbat and the holidays, host a Chanukah bash every year, give tzedaka whenever we can spare. But that said, my wife doesn’t feel a spiritual pull toward Judaism and that’s okay!

I was really really hoping she wouldn’t convert because it’s so uncommon and frankly, nice, to be represented so wholly by a television couple. Yes, they love each other simply as they are, and not for how they’ll complete the puzzle pieces of a life they planned a decade ago. They have no idea how this is going to work out, but something that feels this right can’t be wrong.

I’d love to see season two dive into Noah’s religious convictions. He doesn’t need to stop being Jewish or even stop being a rabbi - yeah, it sucks that he won’t be head rabbi of his lifelong shul, there’s room for those feelings. But (and I’m of course speaking as a reconstructionist) but Noah is still a fantastic rabbi and can lead a community (that also won’t treat Joanne like dirt for not being Jewish).

Anyway - also, I love the Morgan x Sasha dynamic and I pray it won’t escalate to cheering; I already hate that set up.

[wenevergotusedtoegypt]

How do you make sense of the war or explain it to children if they were to ask?

Really depends on the age and how much information they already have when they ask. 4yo is barely aware of the war. I think at one point earlier on we told him something like, "some bad people hurt Jews in Eretz Yisroel," and in school they have done things like davening or giving tzedaka in the merit of Eretz Yisroel, but it really hasn't been necessary to go further than that at this age and with the limited news he has been exposed to. I know the children of one of my friends came home from school talking about bombs, so obviously in that case there was another layer to address...but they're also older. I don't know what the discussion they had was.

[springstarfangirl]

Hiya! I'm trying to write a Jewish character, can I have some help please? I really want to make her good positive representation

Sure thing! Though do keep in mind that I am only one girl from one stream of a religion that has itself a history of over three millennia, so I can only speak for what I know, that being Orthodox Judaism.

(also this is getting quite long, but I don't know what I expected- the rest is going under the cut.)

So one thing to keep in mind is that Judaism is more than just a religion. It's also a culture, and even just being raised around it- even if your character is secular (doesn't perform the commandments) or atheist/agnostic (doesn't believe God exists/doesn't know if God exists)- it will very much affect your character's mindset and possibly show up in their life in other ways.

In fact, the reason why I separated secular from atheist/agnostic is part of that- Judaism, due to putting more emphasis on the doing than the believing, doesn't really care if you actually believe in God. There are people who very much perform Judaism as a cultural ritual more than as a religion, and they are just as valid as the people who believe that God is there in every corner.

Okay, so what kind of cultural mentalities can you add?

For instance, the idea of proselytizing is forbidden in Judaism. So the way charity differs from tzedaka can be huge. Tzedaka comes from the root word tzedek, justice, and is seen as a way to help someone who's down on their luck to get back on their feet. Not an opportunity to convince them to join your religion. *stares angrily at American charity orgs*

This has a massive effect on how Jewish people see the world. Giving to and helping other people makes us happy, and that in itself is reward enough.

On the more cultural aspect, the menorahs you always see on TV shows? Inaccurate. Those are specific to one holiday, Chanukkah, which is not only a rather minor holiday but is also sometimes viewed as the "Jewish Christmas" when it really isn't. Instead, what any Jewish household would really have is books, and lots of them. The way we view the Tanach is very different from how a lot of Christians view the Bible- it's rarely literal- and so often you'll find a lot of books about Jewish law hanging around. Also, prayer books and candlesticks. Adult Jewish men are supposed to pray three times a day, so someone is bound to leave their prayer book lying around. And the candlesticks are from the "ceremony" (I say, struggling to find a better word) where we welcome Shabbat on Friday just before sunset. A lot of families keep them out all week.

Food is also massively important. Do your research on what's kosher and what's not (though if your character is Reform this may not apply as much- again, I speak from my own experience only) and try to stick to that. That might involve a Jewish character avoiding eating outside the house unless it's a packaged item (which they might check for kashrut symbols), or whispering a blessing before they eat. Kosher meat and cheese are both very hard to find outside of places with a lot of Jews, so they might be vegetarian.

I can't think of anything else right now, so I'll tag @unbidden-yidden because as a convert, they have much more experience with the mindset distinctions between Christianity and Judaism.

Jumblr, feel free to throw all your additions at this post- I need all the help I can get.

I hope this helped at least a little!

[smile-files]

happy Rosh Hashanna/ Shana Tova

Tzedaka!

thank you!!! for your kind words here's a drawing i made of my jellycat plush croissant :)

[unbidden-yidden-deactivated20240]

@screamingfromuz Thank you so much, I greatly appreciate you taking the time to write this all up. 💖

Hi there! I am reaching out because someone sent me a question about how to help Gazan civilians without accidentally helping Hamas or spreading more hate against Israelis. I honestly feel lost on this myself, but as far as I can tell you are someone who has done real activism in Israel. Do you have suggestions for diaspora Jews who want to help fight for peace?

So a small disclaimer to the Gaza problem. We have 2 main problems with getting aid into Gaza, the first is the limited amount of aid that is allowed in, sending more money cannot make it go in faster. Problem number 2 is that much of the physical aid ends in Hamas's hands or in the black market and there is nothing we can do with that. I have heard recommendations to wait and see who opens a field hospital on the Rafah border crossing, and donate to them. Despite that, here are some charities to help Palestinians both in and out of Gaza.

I will admit, most of my activism is focused on deradicalization on the Israeli side and solidarity work, so I had to ask around for some of those charities. Some of the groups I know of do not currently have an international donation link, so if I get more good ones, I'll make another post.

Gaza:

Medical aid for Palestinians-

Anera-

Doctors without borders-

Palestinians outside of Gaza and Peace movements:

Palestinian red Crescent- they also work in Gaza, but as the main source for Palestinian ambulances in the WB, I put them here.

mistaclim (Looking the occupation the the eye)- this group is helping to protect Palestinians from the illegal settlers

Keshet- this is a big one. they support Bedouin communities in normal times, and now they are working on getting bomb shelters to the unrecognized villages, and providing a mental health first aid line.

standing together- totally biased, as I am a member of this organization.

Women wage peace- a feminist based solidarity group

Haqel- they represents Palestinians in cases related to land ownership and access. there work is still ongoing even during the war

Center for Jewish non Violence - a diaspora org that also does a lot of work in the South Hebron Hills.

[bdkinz]

Rebbe Nachman's Advice # 6 - Charity and Faith go together

Faith manifests itself in many forms. Much of our approach to faith is emotional/intellectual, in that we either try to gain clarity and understanding in what we see in the world or allow experience and gut to guide us on our journey. In the below quote from Rebbe Nachman, he suggests that faith has a more pragmatic, action oriented element as well: טז. עִקַּר חֲשִׁיבוּת הַצְּדָקָה…

[thefernmanner]

"Junior Senior." From the Book of Sirach, "The Manner of the Fern" 10: 26-31.

The relief of poverty, which a requirement named by the Torah starts with an aspect of Kabbalah called Keter, or "majesty." Without an instinct for the potential for society to culminate in an experience of great happiness for all beings, the relief of poverty will not take place. All of the Sefirot named by the Kabbalah are apropos to the relief of poverty but this is the real reason one wants it done.

The overarching goal of Kabbalah is found well underneath Keter, like the skirt under the Christmas Tree called Tzedaka. Keter is the star on the tree, Tzedaka is the stand.

The reference in the Torah is explicit about this.

From Vayigash:

8 So it was not you who sent me here, but God. He has made me a father to Pharaoh, and lord of all his house and ruler over all the land of Egypt. 9 Hurry and go up to my father and say to him, ‘Thus says your son Joseph, God has made me lord of all Egypt. Come down to me; do not tarry. 10 You shall dwell in the land of Goshen, and you shall be near me, you and your children and your children's children, and your flocks, your herds, and all that you have. 11 There I will provide for you, for there are yet five years of famine to come, so that you and your household, and all that you have, do not come to poverty.’

The following strand from Sirach covers the top and the bottom of the relief of poverty.

Concerning Humility

26 Do not make a display of your wisdom when you do your work,     and do not extol yourself when you are in difficulty. 27 Better those who work and have plenty     than those who boast and lack bread.

28��My child, honor yourself with humility,     and give yourself the esteem you deserve. 29 Who will acquit those who condemn[i] themselves,     and who will honor those who dishonor themselves?[j] 30 The poor are honored for their knowledge,     while the rich are honored for their wealth. 31 One who is honored in poverty, how much more in wealth!     And one dishonored in wealth, how much more in poverty!

The Values in Gematria are:

v. 26-27: Do not make displays. The quieter the mind and the environment the better. All debates in the mind over the rennet of reality must be lightning fast and contend with the crises of conscience at hand. There must not be debates as there are now as to whether it is legal or appropriate to create millions of homeless persons as we are doing in the USA. This is a disgrace and we will regret it.

The response to this and all crises should be as fast as a hungry dragonfly larvae, the most vicious creature alive:

The Value in Gematria is 15978, י״הטע‎ח, "a cheater is the wrong one."

v. 28-29: Honor yourself with humility. Humility is called Hod in Hebrew. Hod also called empathy does not have a direct translation in English. To experience Hod, one must cultivate the knowledge needed to purvey oneself through prideful situations with an eye on one's foremost purposes.

The Number is 16960, י״וטס, yots, "one who has gone out."

Are you a gamer? Do you have petty emotions, meaningless little agendas, do you repeat behaviors that do not bear normal, ripe fruits? If you do, you need to get the fuck out.

v. 30-31: If one can be honored without wealth, this is best. Wealth is fun so that is not what this means. Wealth without money, an accumulation of happy trouble free toll free experiences is what we want. Persons who fuck around trying to be happy but never seem to experience it are losers and you should not keep their company.

Anyone who has two hands, ten fingers, ten toes, a working wiener and a sound mind and basic services has the abilty to knock it off and should do so forthwith.

The Number is 13112, יגיאב‎‎‎, yagiav, "a young senior" is what we want. Sirach frowns on people that take the long way around growing up, dealing with things, learning how to be happy with very little hassle or time prep or money. To have a very short time and a few advantages and waste them is an insult to persons who are truly impoverished.