Tzedakah

So High Holidays are here again. As Ethan and I have still not managed to pick a new synagogue in Morris County, we'll be spending them at home rather than temple. Still, the holidays always put me in a reflective mood.

We have a piggy bank that we drop all our spare change into. Normally, I wait till it's full, take it to the Stop N' Shop, dump it in the Coinstar and just put my little cash voucher toward the grocery bill. I've decided that it was time to turn the piggy bank into a--rather ironic--tzedakah box (charity box for you gentiles).

Traditionally, Jews put money in their tzedakah box each shabbat to be contributed to a charity of their choice once the box is full. As I said, we just empty our spare change into it any old day of the week. When full, that little oinker can hold up to $70.

Not a huge sum you might think, but for my current charity of choice, $70 saved = 7 lives saved. I'm sure you've all heard of Nothing But Nets. It's been all over the media lately. Each $10 donated purchases a mosquito bed net to prevent malaria deaths in Africa. In many cases, the bed covered by that net might sleep more than 1 person, so each donation of $10 may very well save 2 or more lives. How could you ask for a better return on investment than that?

I know times are tough in these United States financially speaking, but few us can't spare $10. Skip a movie. Skip a manicure. Skip 2 or 3 lattes. Make your own coffee instead and take it to work with you in a reusable travel mug. It's better for the environment, so you'd be doing two mitzvahs for the price of one.

Maybe you don't give a hoot about people dying of malaria in Africa. Pick another charity and do the same. I promise it will make you feel good. I like this particular charity simply because of the amazing return on investment for so little up-front capital. Did that sound republican of me? Eww.

Anyhoo, this is all part of my sudden need to actually embody and act on our Jewish values before the kid gets here so we can pretend we were doing it all along and not just for his benefit. I'd like him to think we've always been good Jews :).

And yes, I know several of my readers already make significant contributions to charities of their choice, so consider yourselves exempt. I just thought I'd give this particular charity a shout out because I thought it was such a simple and brilliant idea. I've put a link to the site on my left hand toolbar which will remain there for the foreseeable future. They have lovely html banners, but I couldn't seem to get them to work despite having no problems with the pregnancy ticker.

Thanks to any readers who decide to make a donation after reading this post. You're literally a lifesaver--and you didn't even have to talk someone off a ledge or pull anyone from burning wreckage, yet your actions are just as heroic as if you had.