A. Direct, Immediate Support: Philadelphia ($500)
B. Kavod ($750)
C. Yad Chessed ($2,500)
XXI. Global Tikkun Olam
A. Doll Baby ($3,346.50)
The
Reverend Linda Tarry-Chard is a regular participant at our Mitzvah Hero
Conferences and her stories about poverty and disease and the plight of poor
women in South Africa never fail to move our audiences. The Project People
Foundation, much like MayaWorks, allows individuals to use their talents to
produce beautiful, saleable items, thus giving them the opportunity to help
support themselves and their families. It is another fine example of
Maimonides’ highest level of Tzedakah.
When
we first learned of Linda’s work we were particularly attracted to the
beautiful black dolls being crafted by these women. The project was originally
started by Helen Lieberman, a native of South Africa, as a response to the lack
of black dolls for local children. Today, poor women and youth of color have
been empowered as they complete job training and produce the beautiful items
that PPF sells. If you check out the PPF website you will see not only the
dolls but also many other hand-crafted gifts such as giraffes, frogs, elephants,
beautiful beaded AIDS pins, colorful children’s backpacks and our very
favorite, a beaded silk organza Challah cover. Our funds were used to purchase
these beautiful items which we sell to our audiences. In recent years, the
organization’s work has also been directed to countering the horrific ravages
of HIV/AIDS in this region.
[Rev.
Linda Tarry-Chard, The Project People Foundation, 110 E. 59th St., 23rd Floor,
New York, NY 10022, 212-415-2280,
fax: 415-2049, 332-0717 (voice mail), mailto:info@projectpeoplefoundation.org,
www.projectpeoplefoundation.org.]
B. Jewish Life in Cuba ($3,391.55)
Cuba-American
Jewish Mission (CAJM) has made Cuban Jewry its primary focus since its official
founding in 1998 (though unofficially 4 years earlier) by June Safran. The
organization brings relief and Judaism to the remaining Jewish population on
this once-prosperous tropical island. Aside from frequent tours to Cuba, June’s
group also sponsors Jewish cultural programs, health services, Hebrew education
for the growing youth population, and religious articles such as mezzuzot,
siddurim and chumashim.
This
year our donation to CAJM was used for two specific needs. A Bar Mitzvah
student in the Washington, DC, area decided to donate a significant portion of
his gifts to the development of Jewish children’s libraries in several of the
local Jewish communities. Spanish books of Jewish content have been purchased and
will shortly be placed in the synagogues of those cities and towns. The donor
has even had the opportunity to visit Cuba this winter, attend religious school
classes and Shabbat services, and meet the recipients of his special donation.
We
are particularly heartened by June’s ability to use some of our Tzedakah money
to provide for very basic needs. This recent e-mail from her gives us a new
perspective on the reality of living in Cuba today:
Ah, dreams! I will carry the
money [you sent], but it will be spent for shopping in the stores where I can
buy needed food items and clothing. For a long time, I’ve wanted to provide the
ladies of Santiago with new underwear and some of the children with new shoes.
There is a woman in Havana with a retarded daughter who is wearing shoes that
are so cheap they don’t give support. The girl could easily twist an ankle
because she has trouble coordinating. There is also the house in Cojimar that
my friend, Stanley, paid to repair but did not provide the $200 for the painting
after the new roof is put on. So, there goes $200. Then there is Jaine G. who
lives in a broken down shack in Palma Soriono. He is 62 but looks like he is 80
and shakes. We give him $10 a month so he is doing better because he eats
better. A friend just visited in his house when she went as part of the
Berkeley Sister City project. She said his chairs were impossible to sit in.
They are dirty and falling apart. I figure his bed is probably even worse so
I’m getting someone to check that out...
[The
Cuba-America Jewish Mission, June Safran, Executive Director, 1442A Walnut St.
#224, Berkeley, CA 94709, 510-526-7173, fax: 527-2514, mailto:CAJM13@aol.com,
www.thecajm.org.]
C. Jews In The Old Country - I ($5,000)
This
one powerful statement from Am Echad’s very informative website offers
tremendous insight into one of the most serious problems facing Jewry today:
There are 100,000 elderly Jewish men and women left
behind in the Former Soviet Union with no means for existence following the
exodus of Jews from Russia.
If
you read on, you will learn that most have no savings, no relatives, little
food and poor or non-existent medical care. Thousands live on less than $20 a
month and it is here that Igor Feldblyum, Am Echad’s founder, steps in. After
putting in place a secure and effective distribution channel, Am Echad is able
to send small sums of money to the most at-risk Elders in cities such as St.
Petersburg. These grants often make a critical difference in the lives of the
recipients.
If
you wish to make an impact on someone’s life, this is one very special project
with which to become involved. We know that every dollar counts here.
[Am
Echad, Igor Feldblyum, President, 1277 Bartonshire Way, Potomac, Maryland 20854, 301-424-2647, fax: 424-7412, mailto:amechad@aol.com,
www.amechad.net.]
D. Jews In The Old Country - II ($1,750)
The
stories are tragic. The names could belong to many of our own relatives, had
they had the misfortune of remaining in the Former Soviet Union….Debora
Logovier, 81, an invalid with hypertension, arrhythmia, glaucoma and kidney
disease; Lia Popko, 78, a recent widow and invalid; Serafim and Anna Aronova,
75-year-old twins with no relatives. Both are invalids, one with severe heart
disease and glaucoma. Who cares for them in a poor society with too few
resources and a growing anti-Semitic culture? Chicago Action for Soviet Jewry
has been operating since 1972 and provides a personal lifeline between the poor
Jews remaining in these countries and American Jewry dedicated to alleviating
their conditions in a very personal and meaningful way.
Many
congregations and individuals, particularly in the Chicago area, have become
part of Chicago Action’s efforts. They are a model for all of us.
[Chicago
Action for Soviet Jewry, Marilyn Tallman, Chairperson, 555 Vine Street, #111,
Highland Park, IL 60035, 847-433-0144, fax: 433-5530, mailto:CASJ1@aol.com,
www.fsumonitor.com.]
E. The Jews of Uganda ($500)*
Approximately
600 Jews have been recently “rediscovered” in a number of villages in Uganda —
the Abayudaya. Frequent visitors
from the Kulanu Organization, as well
as Rabbi Jeffrey Summit, Hillel Director at Tufts, Richard Sobol,
photographer of Jewish communities par excellence, and others, have brought the
needs of these Jews to the attention of thousands of people. There are many
needs, and we recommend you be in touch to make your own connections and
provide your own support. Our Tzedakah money was used to purchase school
supplies.
The
Kulanu Boutique offers many products from the Abayudaya, as well as other
countries sometimes thought to be “off the beaten track”…a fine way to support
Jews in scattered parts of the world. www.kulanuboutique.com.
[KULANU,
11603 Gilsan St., Silver Spring, MD
20902, Attn: Karen Primack, secretary, 301-565-3094, fax: 681-1587, mailto:info@kulanu.org,
www.kulanu.org.]
F. Spreading the Word ($1,000)
Rabbi
Jo David’s group is dedicated to bringing Judaism to communities where it has
been nearly lost or forgotten, both in the United States and internationally.
The Jewish Appleseed Foundation (JAF) has been particularly successful in the
city of Hameln, Germany, where they have built a vital community center and
conduct youth programs such as summer camp. Their newly-designed website is
being used for many purposes including responding to basic questions about
Judaism and providing other important Jewish resources. We are very happy to be
part of this work which reaches out to so many people who stand at the fringes
of the Jewish community.
[Jewish
Appleseed Foundation, Inc. Rabbi Jo David, Executive Director, PO Box 308, New
York, NY 10021, 212-249-5142, fax: 249-0799, mailto:RabbiJo@jaf18.org, www.jewishappleseed.org.]
G. Saving Lives Around the World ($1,000)
Ray
Buchanan is everywhere. He travels the world making connections: (a) between
donors who want to feed hungry people and provide the best medical care where
little or none is available and (b) agencies that can deliver the supplies and
care swiftly, efficiently, and with minimal bureaucracy. Ray’s Mitzvah reach
extends to victims of natural disasters, war-torn countries, and remote places
where few, if any, seem to reach people in need… all at costs to run Stop
Hunger Now that are so low one wonders how he does it.
We
recommend that anyone interested in contributing to “international relief”
should contact Ray.
[Stop
Hunger Now, 2501 Clark St., #301, Raleigh, NC 27607, attn: Ray Buchanan,
919-839-0689, toll-free phone: 888-501-8440, cellphone: 919-349-4491, fax:
839-8971, mailto:r.buchanan@stophungernow.org, www.stophungernow.com.]
H. $50 Can Change a Life ($1,000)
There
are millions of human situations where a $50 or $75 or $100 loan can actually
change a person’s life so much, they will emerge from poverty forever.
Micro-credit, the concept of microloans, was invented by Dr. Muhammed Yunus in
Bangladesh in 1976 when he established The Grameen Bank. Now the program is
established in more than 30 countries, and more than $3,000,000,000 has been
granted in loans to more than 2,500,000 people — most of them the extremely
poor village women. Astonishing? I can only recommend that you visit the
website, http://www.grameen.com/,
to learn more about this unique, indeed, awesome program.
[Grameen
Foundation USA, 1029 Vermont Avenue NW #400, Washington, DC 20005,
202-628-3560, fax: 628-3880, mailto:info@gfusa.org,
Attn: Dr. Ismael (Mike) Getubig or Jacki Lippman www.gfusa.org. Donations made out to “The People’s
Fund.”]
I. Getting Results ($250)
The
statistics astound us: Every day, throughout the world, 32,000 children die
from hunger or hunger-related causes. 1.5 billion people live on less than $1 a
day. In the United States, 7.5 million people are hungry, including 2.6 million
children. Sam Daley-Harris’s RESULTS, an exceptionally fine grassroots
citizens’ lobby, is devoted to ending this hunger and poverty by identifying
and publicizing cost-effective solutions. Once these solutions are identified,
RESULTS relies upon one of the most time-honored means to effect change —
letter-writing campaigns to members of Congress and the media, hosting press
conferences, whatever it takes to get the word out. We are impressed by the
scope of their work. In November, The Microcredit Summit + 5 took place in New
York, with nearly 200 panelists, 50 workshops, and a multitude of topics that
addressed critical issues — as the point of departure for doing — global Tikkun
Olam.
[RESULTS
Educational Fund, Sam Daley-Harris, 440 First Street, NW #450, Washington, DC
20001, 202-783-7100, fax: 783-2818, mailto:results@resultsusa.org, http://www.resultsusa.org/.
RESULTS is an acronym for Responsibility, Ending Starvation Using Legislation,
Trimtabbing and Support.]
