XII. The First Principle of Tzedakah:
Providing for Near Poor, Poor, and Desperately Poor People

A. Oh, Baby! ($4,697.57)

With the downturn in our economy the need in the community is growing larger than ever before. Washington State now ranks number 2 in the nation’s states for families that are experiencing hunger. Our wealthier suburbs of Seattle are seeing a dramatic increase in the number of families requesting free lunches or reduced cost lunches for elementary school-aged children…. Many of our donors have become clients of the agencies we provide baby supplies to. The lines at the food banks on Baby Day are blocks long in many cases. It has been at least 20 years since the numbers of people fighting poverty were this high.

Such is the letter we received recently from our good friend, Jeannie Jaybush, at St. Joseph’s Baby Corner. In truth, one of the things that makes Seattle different from other large cities experiencing the economic downturn is the very existence of St. Joseph’s Baby Corner and its dedicated leader, Jeannie. For years, she and her staff of nurses have met the needs of untold numbers of families. Whether providing a life-saving baby car seat or much-needed clothing, diapers, Portacribs, or blankets, her team is always ready to help. Our donation this year was used to purchase many car seats and Portacribs as well as a large supply of Spanish children’s books. Jeannie shared with us that these books are incredibly important to the Hispanic families St. Joseph’s helps. They are the first step in the long process of educating many children whose parents themselves cannot read. We are very excited about this new way we can offer help to Baby Corner.

[Baby Corner, 900 Boylston Ave, #1, Seattle, WA  98104, Attn: Jeannie Jaybush, 206-726-1435, fax: 568-4419, babies@blarg.net.]

B. Hatzilu — Reaching Poor Jews On Long Island ($2,000)

We wrote last year: Al Nevins and his devoted volunteers provide critical support — both financial and material — for impoverished Jews living on Long Island, New York. For many, Hatzilu’s efforts may be all that they have. The fact that 95% of their donations goes to direct aid is most impressive.

[Hatzilu, 3500 Steven Rd., Baldwin, NY  11510, Attn: Al Nevins, 516-868-6836.]

C. The Good Man of Columbia, SC  ($1,250)

We have been telling the story of John Fling for years. This extraordinary human being continues to provide for the very basic needs of many poor people in and around Columbia, South Carolina. Clothing, food, a helping hand around the house, money for a utility bill — he does it all. We are particularly impressed with his annual holiday “shopping spree” when hundreds of children and their families are given a gift certificate to a local store to do some holiday gift shopping. Despite his advancing years, John keeps going with seemingly unlimited energy.

[John Fling, c/o John Fling Ministries, POB 5491, 2916 River Dr., Cayce, W. Columbia, SC  29171, car phone: 803-360-JOHN.)

Grandma Edie: We like to keep our veteran readers up-to-date on some of our early projects. Three years have passed since Grandma Edie Lewis died tragically in a traffic accident. Grandma’s work in the Dallas area was devoted to saving the lives of many troubled kids. Koe Jones, one of the kids she saved from a life in gangs, graduated last May from college and is working. His greatest pleasure comes from working with kids who, like himself, had lost their way.

We know that Grandma is smiling down on him — she never gave up hope that Koe would succeed. Koe has never forgotten that Grandma was the one who turned his life around.

D. Southern Cooking and More ($1,000)

Founded by the late Sister Margaret McCaffrey in Shreveport, LA, the Christian Service Program provides a variety of services for local families in financial and emotional distress. Since Sister Margaret’s death a few years ago, Brother Giovanni Reid has taken over the day-to-day operations of providing essential items for people living precariously close to the economic edge. Aside from fine medical care, the project offers clothing, food, household supplies — whatever it takes to insure a Menschlich, decent life. Our donation helped to purchase an icemaker for their many programs that feed hungry people.

[Christian Service Program, POB 21, Shreveport, LA  71161, Attn: Brother Giovanni Reid, 318-452-7144, cellphone: 453-5793, cservice@shreve.net.]

For those of you in the Washington, DC, area, we mention the exceptional Luther Place N. Street Village — founded by Reverend John Steinbruck — benefiting many homeless and poor people, as well as victims of domestic violence. (1333 N St., NW, Washington, DC  20005, Attn: Zelna Joseph, 202-939-2050, fax: 319-1508, mailto:zjoseph@nstreetvillage.org, www.nstreetvillage.org.)

In the greater Philadelphia area, we encourage you to see the superb network of projects of Sister Mary Scullion’s Project H.O.M.E. (1515 Fairmount Ave., Philadelphia, PA  19130, 215-232-7272, www.projecthome.net.)

E. Kosher for Passover ($250)

Once again, we have contributed to the B’nai B’rith Chesapeake Bay Region’s program that provides Pesach food to needy people throughout the area. A fine example of the Mitzvah of Ma’ot Chittin.

[Contributions: B’nai B’rith Project Hope, Attn: Jerry Jacobs, c/o B’nai B’rith Chesapeake Bay Region, 1501 Allview Drive, Rockville, MD 20854, 301-340-8144 (evenings). Information: Shari Barash, 240-453-9945, barash.shari@epa.gov.]

What Every Jewish Community Should Have

Jewish Free Legal Services: We continue to emphasize the importance of free legal services for people who cannot afford to pay for such services. We are familiar with several free-standing agencies that provide vital legal services on a pro bono basis. They are named, most appropriately, Bet Tzedek, “The Place Where Tzedek/Justice Happens.” We suggest that you contact Joy Rothenberg at 513-984-6768, mailto:endsja@aol.com to learn more about starting a Bet Tzedek in your own community, or Wayne Kessler, Boston Bet Tzedek, 617-558-1278, wkessler@jfcsboston.org.

Jewish Free Medical Services: We also remind you of a project in the Boston area started by David Pomeranz (617-277-8987, mailto:dpomeranz@aol.com) — “Community Health Access Program” (CHAP) (formerly the Boston Jewish Medically Uninsured Project-BJMUP), one aspect of Boston’s Jewish Family and Children Service’s multi-faceted Center for Family Assistance. For current information, contact: Wayne Kessler, Center for Family Assistance at JF&CS, 617-558-1278, mailto:wkessler@jfcsboston.org, or visit the website at www.jfcsboston.org/services/chap.htm.

Jewish Free Burial Services: In addition, we want to remind you of another program that should be part of every Jewish community — The Hebrew Free Burial Society of Greater Washington is responsible for providing a dignified and proper burial for any Jew whose family cannot afford to do so or who has no family to perform this essential Mitzvah. It is quiet work, but so very important.

[Hebrew Free Burial Society of Greater Washington, Attn: Martin Kamerow, c/o Kamerow, Weintraub & Swain, LLP, 11400 Rockville Pike, #800, Rockville, MD 20852, 301-468-2424, fax: 468-2480, mailto:mkamerow@kwscpa.com. Emergency phone number: 301-230-7200.]

Jewish Burial Societies-Chevra Kadisha: Kavod v’Nichum is a national Chevra Kadisha umbrella organization. This is a very exciting movement that encourages a return to personal involvement in the entire process of Jewish burials.

For information, contact: David Zinner, 410-799-8070 (mailto:zinner@jewish-funerals.org, http://www.jewish-funerals.org/). Their website had 45,000 visitors in the last year — a clear indication of the need for this type of organization. The group has information and publications which will be of great use in your own local efforts. On June 22-24, 2003, they will hold the first North American Chevra Kadisha (Holy Society) Conference in Rockville, MD.  The conference will address “Exploring Jewish Traditions Surrounding Dying and Death.” We encourage you to be in touch with Kavod V’Nichum to learn how to institute this ancient practice in your own community.