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Union Temple members are generous with donations to various Temple funds and programs. Ever wonderhow the money is used? Here’s the rundown.All donations go to
tzedakah
or to support the work of the Temple, which according to Talmud, is in itself anact of
tzedakah
.
Tzedekah
, you recall, is not charity but justice – as in social justice: helping the poor, feedingthe hungry, etc.The
Memorial Fund
is for donations in memory of departed loved ones. It’s traditional to make a memorialcontribution to mark a
Yahrzeit
. The names of donors and honorees are listed every month in the bulletin. Per-haps you’ve noticed the commemorative bookplates in some of our prayer books, especially
Mishkan T’filah
,the new siddur just published last year. Temple members contribute $40 to purchase a prayer book in some-one’s name, a nice tribute and a way to keep the Temple stocked with
siddurim
.
Prayer Book Fund
donationsare also noted every month in the Bulletin.Then there’s my favorite, the
Happy Day Fund
, donations made to commemorate a wedding, a bar/bat mitz-vah, the birth of a child, any joyous occasion. It’s a way to let your friends know you share their joy.All these donations contribute to the general work of the Temple, as does the annual
Yom Kippur Appeal
.This is the only regular temple-wide fundraising effort of the year. Members send in their donations by mail orin person at High Holy Day services.Contributions to the
tzedakah
box, on the other hand, go to the
Rabbi’s Discretionary Fund
. This account,separate from regular temple money, is not for the Rabbi’s personal use, but for her to dispense at her discre-tion (hence the name). At Union Temple, this fund is used chiefly to support Jewish charities and to provideconfidential financial assistance to Temple members for specific purposes. Please note: The Rabbi’s Discre-tionary Fund comes solely from donations, not from the Temple budget. Thus it is quite helpful for congre-gants to make donations to this fund from time to time to commemorate both
simchas
and
tzoros
, or “just likethis.” Checks to this fund should be made out to “Union Temple,” and earmarked on the bottom “Rabbi’s Dis-cretionary Fund.”Finally, Union Temple is a partner of
MAZON: A Jewish Response to Hunger
. (“Mazon” means meal inHebrew). This nationwide organization supports ahuge network of soup kitchens, food pantries, Mealsof Wheels programs, and advocacy groups working torelieve the root causes of poverty and hunger. TheTemple contributes 3% of the cost of all the foodserved at Temple functions (and you know that’s alot!). The MAZON tin you see at Temple buffet tablesis for individual donations, all of which go to MAZONto fight hunger in this country and abroad.If members are so moved, they can also donate,through the Temple: gently worn business clothing tothe HOPE Program, for job seekers entering/returningto the work force; other second hand clothing to localhomeless shelters; and non-perishable food around theHigh Holy Days, Thanksgiving, Pesach or, now, anymonth of the year. Cash or goods, it all fulfills themitzvah of tzedakah.
-Beatrice Hanks, Treasurer
Officer’s Column
We All Make a Difference
Kinder Kef
A Monthly Programat Union Temple
for Children ( ages 4-6 )Socialize, sing, learnabout holidays, make some art, learnblessings and make the world a bet-ter place.Give your child a foundationin progressive Judaism!Parent participation is notrequired but is welcome!Open to all without charge.
10 AM -12 PM on4/19/09 and 5/17/09
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