What is a Rabbi’s Discretionary Fund? Where do the donations go? (January KOL)
Tue, January 3, 2012
One of the greatest blessings we can fulfill as Jews is the act of tzedakah,giving to worthy causes consistent with our values and aspirations, as we work to bring a messianic age in our lifetime, to use classical Reform language; or as we commit to tikkun olam,to use more modern Jewish language.
I have been committed to tzedakahsince I brought my first nickel to Mrs. Tilles’s class as a little girl. At my Bat Mitzvah, I made a commitment to begin making my own tzedakah contributions to our temple and to other worthy causes. In 1969, I worked many hours to make the $18 dollar donation each year to our synagogue. It is a bit amazing to me that people are still making $18 donations so many years later. Unfortunately, $18 went a lot farther then than it does now. Today, I usually make $180 donations instead. I recommitted to do even more by tithing (giving one tenth of my gross income) once I began to work. Tzedakah is not charity in the sense that it is an obligation for a Jew, not a choice. We give because that is what is right and just, not because we get a tax deduction or a thank you.
As a rabbi, I have taken the responsibility of managing my discretionary fund very seriously. A discretionary fund, or a Rabbi’s Good Deed fund, is just that, an opportunity for congregants to thank rabbis and to enable rabbis to do the work of tzedakahby facilitating a response to the multitude of requests that come in daily. The fund is always used to help others in the name of the members who generously donate to it.
I feel blessed to be in this community with so many kindred spirits who have the same devotion to supporting worthy causes as I do, and who assist me in giving on behalf of our community. The need is greater than ever in this economy where we have all the resources our world could ever need, but a failure to distribute and share those resources with the most needy and worthy of our society and Jewish community. I find myself drawn to Jewish charities, as we Jews decline in numbers and as the Jewish community has become less philanthropic as a whole. If we don’t give, who will? And I love supporting our members in their tikkun olam efforts whenever I can.
Periodically, I like to give a list of the charities, causes, and individuals who have received support from the fund in the past year. This list has most of the donations I have made in 2011, but not all, as I am writing before the URJ Biennial, and before the year comes to a close. It will give you a picture of the range of beneficiaries. There are many worthy causes that will not be on this list for a host of reasons. But, you should all be proud to know that TBS is doing its share of “repair.” I am so grateful to be able to give our support to the worthy recipients listed below:
826DC in honor of Josh Fixler
AEPi to Fight Breast Cancer in honor of Connor Maldonato
Alzheimer’s Association
American Association for the Protection of Nature in Israel (ASPNI)
American Jewish World Service (AJWS)
Americans United for Separation of Church and State
Avi Schafer Fund
AVODAH
B’nai Brith Project Hope (feeding needy Jews in No. Va. during Passover)
Bread for the City
Children’s Hospital Foundation
Children’s National Medical Center
Crohn’s and Colitis in honor of Rabbi Nyer
Debbie Friedman Memorial Fund of the URJ
The Forward Foundation
Freehof Institute for Progressive Halakhah
Georgetown/Lombardi Comprehensive Cancer Center
Goldring/Woldenberg Institute of Southern Jewish Life in honor of the marriage of Carlyn Hart to Steve Butcher
Hebrew Free Burial Society of DC
Herndon Friends Peace Award in honor of Matt Bloom
HIAS –Hebrew Immigrant Aid Society
Hillel: Hillel 2011 Annual Fund in honor of Scott Brown
GMU Hillel
UVA for Reform Programming
Virginia Tech
House of Ruth, DC
HUC-JIR Scholarship for Bess Wohlner
ICCI –Fund for the Advancement of Peace, Jerusalem
ICCF-Israel Children’s Cancer Fund
Jewish Braille Institute
Jewish Federation of Greater Washington Group Home – to provide furnishings for the latest group home in Virginia
Jewish Historical Society of Greater Washington
Jewish National Fund in honor of Amanda Herring
Jewish War Veterans
Kehillat Har-El, Jerusalem in honor of Rabbi Ada Zavidov and Cantor Evan Cohen
Kehillat Mevasseret Zion, Israel
Kehillat YOZMA, Israel
LCAC -Lorton Community Action for Passover/ and throughout the year
Maccabi USA
MADD
Make-a-Wish Foundation
March of Dimes in support of the Discenza family
Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center (MSKCC)
N Street Village, DC
National Yiddish Book Center
North American Conference on Ethiopian Jewry (NACOEJ)
OCRF –Ovarian Cancer Research Fund in memory of Robbyn Rothman
Omerathon, to help Jewish Family services during Passover
Operation Understanding
ORT America
Our Daily Bread
Post-Confirmation Scholarship for Janet Christensen
Religious Action Center 50thAnniversary
RCRC-Religious Coalition for Reproductive Choice
Save a Child’s Heart
Scholarships/ Sponsorships/ and Assistance to TBS members in need
Share Tzedek Hospital in honor of Dylan Cooper
Smile Train
Southern Poverty Law Center
Special Olympics
Special Olympics, Virginia
Susan G. Komen Foundation in honor of Mindy Panzer
TBS Music Fund to assist with guest artists
USO in honor of all those who serve our military proudly
Whitman Walker Clinic
World Union for Progressive Judaism (WUPJ)
World Wildlife Fund (WWF)
Yad Vashem, Jerusalem
The story is told of the man who gives two kopeks to a beggar on the street. When his wife asks him, “Why two kopeks, when he only needs one?” The man replies, “One is for him, and the other is to enable him to fulfill the commandment to give tzedakah.” May we all be blessed to give according to our means.
Happy 2012… “ A Secular Shanah Tovah!”
Fondly,
Rabbi Amy R. Perlin, D.D.