הפוסט Keep the Doors Open! הופיע ראשון בTzedakah V’Chesed

הפוסט The strangest First of September הופיע ראשון בTzedakah V’Chesed

הפוסט A very special delivery הופיע ראשון בTzedakah V’Chesed

Yes, this really is a difficult time for us all but the excitement and joy of .these children revealed through the mask

הפוסט Sparkles everywhere הופיע ראשון בTzedakah V’Chesed

“New shoes… new shoes!!! I’m telling you those boxes contain new shoes…”

morning , 8:00 a.m. and the excited whispers run through the corridors. the excitement reaches a whole new level when the girls confirm what they thought, They’re getting new shoes for the holidays! the faces are peacking, The smiles are spreading, the voices are higher and  higher reaching.

No words in the world can describe the joy of our school girls from getting this big surprise – new shoes for the holidays.

הפוסט The holiday’s surprise הופיע ראשון בTzedakah V’Chesed

הפוסט A blessing from Rav Kanievsky for a good and sweet year הופיע ראשון בTzedakah V’Chesed

Shabbat. The Sabbath. Shabbos Kodesh. There many names for the Jewish weekend, but they share one meaning: The holiest time of the week.

As the sun sets on friday, slipping below the hills on the horizon, mothers and daughters from around the world come together for an exalted moment. Welcome to candlelighting: The opening ceremony of Shabbat. The Shabbat candles bring light into the home, so that we can see what blessing that there is in our lives. To appreciate every facet of our wonderful existence with from a newly illuminated angle.

As we step into Shabbos the world is pristine. It’s magical. Candle lighting welcomes us into the day from which all other days will bear us fruit and prosperity. There is much success waiting just around the corner, but it’s the Shabbos that opens the gates and ushers it in.

This is the true meaning of the candles that we light on the Sabbath. As we begin to receive the tremendous bounty that God releases into the world on this day, the first thing we do is light a candle. We want others to share in that light and to enjoy it with us. We spread the light of Shabbat in our souls, out to the whole world.

This explains the practice of giving a small amount of Tzedakah – charity – just before candlelighting. We are making the most powerful proclamation: God, on this day, before You energize my being with the radiance of Shabbos, I just want You to know that I’m not keeping it to myself. I want everyone in the world to be warmed with the light of Shabbos.

What can I do?

There are children in Safed who need your help. Their families need your help. Their future depends on You. And we’re here to help you make that incredible impact.

TVC provides free education, food and clothing for families grappling with severe poverty. Your tiny contribution is gigantic to them. When you choose to fund TVC, you are empowering life changing programs to continue doing what they do so well.

All you have to do is click this link.

הפוסט Shabbat: The Source of Blessing הופיע ראשון בTzedakah V’Chesed

A top Israeli charity supports the weakest members of its society. The greatest leaders have all agreed that a society is judged by how it empowers its weakest links, not by its more theatrical accomplishments.

In a certain way, we’re attracted to charity movements that display their achievements in big lights. Many organizations have created a tremendous amount of social fanfare to orbit their activities and garner new resources. The issue here is that the flamboyance of it all cheapens the experience.

It happens to be in line with an inner compulsion, set by our capitalistic society to acheive ever increasing levels of grandeur. But the true movers and shakers of our society reach their goals through more modest means. And if that means that they forgo the attention from the elite echelons… so be it.

At TVC in Safed, we’ve chosen this second path. To find families in crisis and then to “get our hands dirty” to help them out. This is what makes us a top Israeli charity.

Here’s a heart-wrenching story to bring the point home:

Struggling to Make it

Simi’s parents waited many years to have a child, and were thrilled when Simi was finally born.  Simi’s father was trained as a lawyer in a great American university, but after they made Aliyah to raise their only daughter in Israel, he was unable to find a job. Their economic situation deteriorated to the point where they didn’t always have food in the house.

There was certainly no money to give Simcha a quality Jewish education like they dreamed of.

But we found them.

Today Simi receives transportation to the Tzedakah V’Chesed nursery school free of charge, and a beautiful Jewish education from the devoted staff at this top Israeli charity school. We provide her with meals to nourish her body and love to nourish her soul. We even send home food packages so her parents will have food in the fridge for themselves too. Around the holidays, we send home clothing and more to ensure that family time is quality time.

We are the unsung heroes of Israeli social causes and that’s that makes us a top Israeli charity. Now is your chance to join us and make a massive difference.

הפוסט What Makes a Top Israeli Charity? הופיע ראשון בTzedakah V’Chesed

The holidays should be beautiful. It’s family time.

Some families don’t have that luxury; quite the opposite. When poverty has crept into a home, the holidays (chagim) are tough. The contrast between privilege and struggle is stark and painful. Parents and kids feel it in different ways: Children feel the sting of jealousy when their friends parade around new outfits, while they show up, yet again, in dirtied hand-me-downs. And the parents suffer from feelings of inadequacy and being unable to fully provide.

Jewish tradition therefore rich with examples of giving to the community’s needy specifically around the holidays. The holiday of Purim has Mishloach Manot, The festival of Passover boasts Kimcha D’Pischa and Maos Chitim. Succot invites the Ushpizin. Even on Rosh HaShana, we are told that our livelihoods are set in stone – except for what we invest into Tzedakah.

See? Charity and the holidays go hand-in-hand.

Supporting those in Need

This is why Tzedakah V’Chesed in Safed has undertaken the mighty project of feeding and clothing the poor of Tzfat as each holiday season in the Jewish Calandar arrives. Clothing, food packages and support vouchers all take the burden off the shoulders of parents who are struggling to keep their heads above water.

Mr. Sasson is bedridden due to an inoperable heart condition, and his wife cares for him around the clock. Unfortunately, disability stipends do not cover the family’s living expenses.

This April, (Nisan in the Jewish months) we found from their three daughters – all of whom study at Tzedakah V’Chesed – that Mrs. Sasson was planning dairy meals for Pesach, because they couldn’t afford meat. Then Mr. Sasson was hospitalized and Mrs. Sasson didn’t have time to prepare ANY meals.

Tzedakah V’Chesed arranged for them to receive all their Pesach needs. The Sassons had food for Pesach… and the happiness of knowing that people care about them. Truly a top Israeli charity.

What can I do?

Support Tzedakah V’Chesed because we are the lifeline of the community when we’re needed most. Your donation makes a direct impact on the thousands of chidlren, parents and impoverished individuals that would have no support without you.

All you have to do is click this link and support a family this Jewish holiday season.

הפוסט Jewish Holidays: You can Support those in Need הופיע ראשון בTzedakah V’Chesed

Safed is the city of Kabbalah. Issac Luria systemized the Zohar and ushered in a new era of spiritual enlightenment. Nestled in this historic Kabbalistic city is a top Jewish charity organization called Tzedakah V’Chesed (TVC). Tzedakah V’Chesed educates young girls for free, supports families-at-risk and sends clothes to those who need. Supporting such an organization is called Tzedakah – Charity. So what does Kabbalah say about Tzedakah?

Let’s take a look:

What Giving Charity Really Means

In the Talmud and the Zohar money goes by many names. One of them is דמים – Damim. This word for money is etymologically rooted to the word דם – Dam, which means blood. What is the connection between blood and money?

The Kabbalistic answer is stark and surprising. Blood spreads oxygen throughout the body, allowing us to exert energy. The overwhelming majority of our adult-life efforts are invested in making a living and earning a paycheck. Our efforts, our energy, our blood is transformed into money.

But the blood is more than just a physical means to exerting energy. According to the Torah, as explained by Kabbalah, the blood houses a certain facet of the soul, as the verse says, “כי הדם הוא הנפש” – The blood is the Soul.

This casts all of our worldly possessions in a whole new light. According to the Zohar, when I exert energy, that is the soul expressing itself in the form of physical effort. That effort is transformed into money. Do you see what this means? An echo of the soul itself is contained in my money and possessions.

And when I gift that money to someone in need? When I give Tzedakah? I’m giving that person my very essence. I’m giving them the gift of soul, of self. This is the greatest gift that could ever be given.

Now is the Time

Take this idea and put it into action. Make a commitment. Do the right thing and donate Tzedakah to TVC now. Give young women a chance at social mobility. Give families hope. You can feed a hungry child.

TVC is the lifeline of the ancient, mystical city of Safed. Our programs are breaking the cycle of poverty through education. Our immediate relief programs send clothing and food to where they are needed, making countless lives better.

Join us. Why? Because you can.

All you need to do is click this link.

הפוסט What Does Kabbalah Say About Charity? הופיע ראשון בTzedakah V’Chesed