Ziv Tzedakah Fund

• Annual Reports • Bar/Bat Mitzvah Info • In the Media • Mission Statement • Donate • Who we are • Contact Us

Israel Info

• Direct Aid in Israel • What to Bring • Mitzvah Tours

Educational Resources

• Mitzvah Movie • Mitzvah Videos • Mitzvah Tshirt • Useful Articles • Youth Annual Report • Ziv Curriculum • Books by Danny Siegel     • Links • Privacy Policy • Site Map

Type any word then click

Receive the Ziv Newsletter

If you would like to receive periodic updates about Ziv Tzedakah Fund including essays by Danny Siegel, click here.

The following is a small sample of particularly moving and insightful videos that I have discovered over the past few years. Most are brief and can be used as trigger films for discussion or as a final note to a talk on Tzedakah, to summarize exactly what is meant by a particular Tzedakah project or what a person who lives the Life of Mitzvahs fully looks like, talks like, and acts like in his or her daily actions. As with my other resource materials, I recommend each person assemble his or her own list of audio-visual resources that will bring home the message of Tzedakah.

The rating system is simple: No asterisk means 'Highly recommended'
* means 'Stunning, moving, and essential'
** means 'Astonishing, revolutionary, a must resource to do major World Repair'
*** means 'In a class by itself'

1. Where Heaven and Earth Touch: Danny Siegel's Mitzvah Heroes in Israel 14-17-minute clips featuring 8 of Danny's Mitzvah heroes, filmed on location in Israel. The inside story of these Giants of Tikkun Olam and their incredible Mitzvah work. With a general introduction and an introduction to each segment by Danny. (Orders: Naomi Eisenberger — naomike@aol.com, 973-763-9396. $25.00/check made out to "Ziv")

***2. Charley's Gift: The ultimate video on Tzedakah. The true story of a child who is diagnosed with cancer. Someone gives him and his mother a house on Malibu Beach where he lives out his last couple of years. For his last birthday, he takes his savings and buys toys for kids in hospitals. A six-handkerchief clip from 20/20 (February 21, 1997), 1-800-CALL-ABC, $36.40 (includes shipping and tax).

***3. Child Labor in Asia: Very powerful. Distressed by stories about horrible working conditions for child labor-ers in Asia, Craig Kielburger, age 13, launched a campaign to end this horror. He trav-eled to Asia to see the reality behind the media coverage first-hand. Accompanied by human rights workers and a crew from 60 Minutes, Craig now tells the anguished tale everywhere. His Free the Children campaign grows, and will hopefully continue to grow until it will be phased out of exis-tence...because child slavery and inhuman working conditions will have disap-peared and there will no longer be a need for it. Ed Bradley's piece is brilliantly produced, must viewing. To order the video from 60 minutes: 1-800-848-3256. Craig's website: www.freethechildren.org.

*4. Jewish Poverty in Montreal: The story of the lives of a few of Montreal's 18,000 poor Jews. Very powerful! Free, but send $18 contribu-tion. 13 minutes. Danyael Cantor, 514-345-2600, fax: 735-8972. Tell them you want the original version.

*5. Mitzvah Dogs trained to work with individuals with disabilities. Ask for the tape about Travis Stout and his dog, Kosmic. My reaction on see-ing the video for the 1st time and for the 100th time was, "Wow!". Canine Companions for Independence, POB 446, Santa Rosa, CA 95402-0446, Attn: Bob Henning, 707-577-1789, toll-free phone: 800-572-BARK (V/TDD) fax: 707-577-1711, info@caninecompanions.org, www.caninecompanions.org. (Send a $25 contribution.) 6 minutes. They also have other wonderful, instructive tapes.

*6. The Giraffe Project: "It's Up To Us" Giraffes — people who stick their necks out to makke good things happen in the world. 1-360-221-7989, fax: 228-7817. $30.00; $24.00 if you are a member of the project. (Sign up. They also have fine curriculum materials.) 28 minutes.

**7. The Amazing Samantha: Samantha Abeel, a severely learning-disabled young woman is a brilliant poet. Her book of poems, Reach for the Moon, (must reading) tells her story in her own words and in prose commentary by her mother and teachers. This video, also called Reach for the Moon, shows Samantha (at about age 16) talking to other children about her learning disability — with intersperseed comments by her mother and teacher — is extremely powerful. The video is not about special needs and people with special needs. It is about people as people. 20 minutes. Video: $29.95 + postage and handling, book: $17.95. Pfeifer-Hamilton Publishers, 1-800-247-6789.

**8. Animals in Hospitals: Fabulous, incredible! Beautiful to be-hold! Dogs, cats, turtles, birds, chinchillas — some resident pets, some visi-tors in hospitals. This goes beyond old age homes. A must! Call The Delta Society, 425-226-7357. $22 + shipping. (Send $30.)

*9. Miracle Workers: A "48 Hours" show, five or six segments on amazing people and Mitzvah projects; 2 or 3 superb, teachable pieces, includ-ing the Mitzvah Monkeys and incredible ophthalmologists who fly around the world to do their good work. 1-800-338-4847. $33 + postage and handling.

10. Bet Tzedek: 6 segments about people who were saved from ruin by the pro bono lawyers of this marvelous project in LA. Narrated by the actress, Bea Arthur. $18.00 contribution to Bet Tzedek, 323-939-0506. 14 minutes. (Another video came out in 1994. You want the original video.)

11. Israel Guide Dog Center for the Blind: Fine video of the activities of the largest organization in Israel training dogs for blind people. 10 minutes. $18 contribution to The Israel Guide Dog Center for the Blind. Contact: Norman Leventhal, 215-343-0373, igdcb@nni.com

*12. Shelter Boy: Very powerful 12-15 minute TV segment on a 12-year-old boy who lives in a shelter with his family. Contact film catalogues. Teaching materials about the film are also available.

**13. Best Boy: Oscar winner. Documentary story of an adult Jewish man's transition from living with his parents to a group home.

14. A Test Of Love: An incredible film based on the true story of a young woman er-roneously placed in an institution as an in-ant — they diagnosed her as being a retarded child. Upon reaching majority, she sues the institution for the right to live on the outside...and wins! Beautifully done. The movie is sometimes listed as Annie's Coming Out. (There's a book by the same name.) Consult video stores and catalogues.

15. Eugene: Video about Eugene Chernayakovsky's Bar Mitzvah. Because of his dis-abilities, a voice-activated computer was created to allow him the opportunity to have an appropriate, meaningful and moving ceremony. Dr. Sharon Schanzer, 215-635-8940.

16. Shalva: Marvelous project for children with disabilities in Jerusalem. 8 minutes, $18 contribution to Ziv. Contact Naomi Eisenberger for tapes. (See #9 above.)

17. Breaking Through Denial: A workshop and documentary footage on Jews and al-coholism. About 30 minutes.