Maran Harav Shmuel Halevi Wosner shlita:
“It is a Zechus for me to be a partner in the biggest and purest Tzedakah organization in Eretz Yisroel�
So That They
“It was just Purim,” Kupat Ha’ir says to itself. The public just gave as much as it possibly can and then some. Entire families willingly made a simpler Purim seudah, eating on plain white paper plates instead of fancier, more expensive paper goods; preparing one type of fish instead of three – so that they could give the difference to Kupat Ha’ir. In more and more homes, people are forgoing dessert and contributing the money dessert would have cost to people who lack the means to make a seudah at all.
Food for Yom
And after such a Purim, only just over, how can we approach the public once again and try to raise funds for Pesach?
So don’t, Kupat Ha’ir says to itself. Don’t raise funds. Leave the needy families to wallow in their misery. Leave them to their own devices. Close your eyes and stick your head in the sand. If you can’t help them, you can’t help them and that’s it! But you can’t do that! Kupat Ha’ir replies. You can’t allow your own brothers and sisters to starve! You can’t say “kol dichfin” at the Seder when there are people who have nothing – nothing at all – for YomTov! How can you recline festively at the Seder when others sit at an empty table? But the public has already given all it can…” Kupat Ha’ir says quietly. After all, Kupat Ha’ir lives among
ey Will Have the people, feels its pulse, its beating heart. What more can we demand from the public?
pleading for funds to pay off pressing debts or even important medical needs. No!
We cannot demand. Really, we can’t. If we were talking about any other nation on earth, there wouldn’t be any point in even trying.
This fundraiser is on behalf of the families for whom we need to set the Seder table – otherwise, they will not have a Seder at all. And being Yidden, we, too, will do more for them much, much more - than “something.” Because when it comes to such families, there’s no need to add a single word. Their pathetic situation speaks for itself.
m Tov But Klal Yisrael is made of different stuff. When a Jew is suffering, his brother is prepared to sell the shirt off his back to help him. We’ve always been like that and we still are today. Yidden don’t sit back when their fellow Jews are suffering. And that’s why this fundraiser is underway. This fundraiser is not for renovations or orthodontic treatment – although these, too, are sometimes as necessary as air to breathe. This fundraiser is not
And he who merits to say “Enough!” to someone else’s suffering will be repaid measure for measure and be showered with blessings “until his lips will be worn out…”
From the words of Maran Harav Chaim Kanievsky shlita:
“All who contribute to Kupat Ha’ir merit to see open miracles”
The Annual Report – What Does It Tell Us?
The Ged Sign Ku Annu
Contributions in Eretz Yisrael for 5767/2007.
It’s so easy to say it. One might even think it’s selfunderstood. Why not? The Gedolei Hador sign Kupat The top row lists the Ha’ir’s annual report. We don’t even realize how special and amazing it is, how months of the year, one after the other. unusual. How wonderful. The first column is What is this report, anyway? Why do the Gedolei Hador divided into the following cells: standing orders, bank sign it? And what does the fact that they sign it actually transfers, credit card, cash, checks and the like. This way, it’s easy to tell at a glance how many contributions mean? came in during any given month, and in which manner. A peek at the annual report shows tables upon tables We can see which methods of payment the public finds column after column of data and rows and rows of most convenient, which months showed an increase numbers. A deeper look reveals that all these numbers in contributions and which type of contributions represent amounts of money. Four-digit numbers, five- have grown most significantly. The total amount of digit numbers, six and seven-digit numbers and even contributions per month as well as the total annual eight and nine-digit numbers. Everything is there in the amount of contributions per method of payment are tiniest detail, accurate down to the last cent. noted as well. Take the first page, for example. The next page presents data regarding contributions
edolei Hador 2007 Kupat Ha’ir’s ual Report signing the annual report
invested indeed justified? The report tells the story… the Gedolei Hador analyze it and reach certain conclusions. They do from all over the world. It’s not merely flip through the pages amazing to see how many with a cursory glance; they literally contributions pour in from abroad. The U.S., England, Belgium, Mexico, France, study the report. Switzerland, Canada… the sums are listed in the currency of each respective country as well as in shekels. How much in total, how much in comparison to contributions from Eretz Yisrael. Now the Gedolei Hador analyze the report and see how much fruit their efforts have borne. Was It would seem that this should be the happiest report the huge effort they invested in this matter really in the world. Money, contributions, mitzvos… So many worthwhile? Was the amount of energy devotedly zechuyos. Reams and reams of positive testimony about
The Happy Report and the Sad Report
Am Yisrael, masses of melitzei yosher for individuals and our community as a whole. All of Klal Yisrael working for the same campaign, contributing from the heart, opening hands and pockets for the sake of dear brethren. But after these pages, which grant a general overview of Kupat Ha’ir, come the detailed dissections. The contribution analysis is replaced by data regarding the sums distributed to the needy. Here the situation is far more sensitive and classified. Even the numbers look different. The figure printed under the heading “Number of Families” is downright frightening. So many needy families require financial assistance! So many homes are in such dire straits! So many people have no choice but to accept tzedakah! One’s heart feels like it must surely break.
Monthly, Steady, and one-Time Support How many families received steady assistance in Tishrei, Cheshvan, Kislev… month after month, in order to survive. The report does not specify the reasons. It merely presents dry fact, dry as the eyes that have already cried themselves out, dry as a desert crying out for rain.
signing the annual report
2006
The collection of all these figures under one figure does not make the statistics any less terrible, just as the figure “six million” does not minimize the pain over the loss of one individual child. The Gedolei Hador read the report and a sigh escapes their lips. What are they thinking? Are they picturing the family they know personally, the one who required assistance after suffering a tragedy? Are they struggling to absorb the horrific figure representing the number of families who have suffered tragedies? The Gedolei Hador have personal representatives in every chapter of the report. They personally request or approve assistance for every family or situation. They see so much pain. Their hearts are as broad as buildings to absorb everything they hear, but to see it all, black on white, is incredibly difficult. Incredibly. The pain is intense. Assistance is provided all over Eretz Yisrael in accordance with the opinion of the Rabbanim of the communities in each city. Kupat Ha’ir receives precise guidelines from the Gedolei Hador regarding how to receive information and how to use it and sometimes – whom to trust. And still that is not all.
The Need Is Great The next dissection describes the goals Kupat Ha’ir is working to achieve by providing people with financial assistance. Gas, electric and telephone bills; electrical appliances (such as a washing machine
to replace one that broke); dental treatment; medical treatment; bar mitzvah celebrations (for orphans and the like); hiring tutors; placing children in foster care; tuition payments and the like. And once again, the numbers quiver with pain. How many children need foster care?! How many families are paying for medical treatment?! How many families are embroiled in legal battles or need help paying property taxes?! So many families are not managing to keep their heads above water. Along with the questions and sighs, something else comes through. Such figures! Such a tremendous scope of chessed! How much power there is in these pages… Is it any wonder that the Gedolei Hador sign the report with heartrending sighs?
Self-Understood The Gedolei Hador are the official members of the organization and their signature means everything has been done with their approval. Kupat Ha’ir Has Merited And they sign. They sign, and we think it’s obvious, self-understood. Self-understood that the Gedolei Hador carry Kupat Ha’ir on their shoulders. Natural that they take personal responsibility for everything carried out within it. Perfectly clear and expected that they declare
their willingness to guarantee that everything is one hundred percent honest and aboveboard. Just a few years ago, the idea of the Gedolei Hador becoming this deeply involved in a tzedakah organization was unimaginable. Four or five years ago, no one dreamed that the Gedolei Hador would accept responsibility for a certain tzedakah fund and say, “This fund is an extension of our own hand.” It certainly never occurred to us that they would actually be members of the management. With Hashem’s help, we have achieved a great merit that even previous generations have not. As Maran Harav Wosner, shlit”a, often says, “tzedakah of this caliber has not existed since the days of Moshe Rabbeinu.”
We have merited to have the Gedolei Hador be personally and actively involved, in the fullest sense of the word. Kupat Ha’ir has merited and the contributors have merited – You have merited!
From the words of Maran Harav Shmuel Halevi Wosner shlita:
I personally know many people that merited great things after donating to Kupat Ha’ir
40
days by the Kosel Hama’aravi.
r e y a r p l a n o s r e p a it r Me or from the Gedolei Had
Please daven on my behalf for: Nachas from children נחת מהילדים
the Kosel The Kvitel for 40 Days at
______________________________ For children זרע של קיימא
Name and Mothers Name____________________
______________________________
Request__________________________________
For a refuah sheleima רפואה שלמה
Name and Mothers Name____________________
______________________________
Request__________________________________ Name and Mothers Name____________________ Request__________________________________ By a minyan of outstanding talmidei chachamim (Minimum $120 per name) By an outstanding talmid chacham (Minimum $120 for 3 names)
Please print legibly You can transmit names via the telephone hotline after making a contribution via credit card
For zivug hagun (worthy mate) זיווג הגון ______________________________ Parnassah (livelihood) with ease פרנסה ______________________________ Please fill in your Hebrew name and mother’s Hebrew name Urgent requests are immediately forwarded to the home of the Gedolei Hador
How do I donate to Kupat Hair? your donation in the enclosed your donation to the Rabbonim in envelope. 3 Send your area (see list on Envelope). 1 Send Call the 24 Hour Tzeddakah Hotline Send your donation to: at of Rabbi Shmuel Berenbaum Zt”l 4 Home 2Fax: 1795 East 7th Street, (donation by credit card)
1-866-221-9352
1888-633-2188
Email: info@kupathairusa.org Brooklyn, N.Y.11223 Please make checks payable to: American Friends of Kupat Ha'ir
1-866-221-9352
24 Hour Tzeddakah hotline
For all information or to receive a pushka call 1-800-233-2188 Our office number in Israel: 3-671-6994