Hamodia has been running a series of articles on what Jewish poverty looks like in this generation with the economic downturn, people losing jobs or having salaries cut, etc.
In this past weeks Hamodia there were two letters to the editor about a certain facet of one of the most recent article. They were both comments on a picture posted of an elderly man rooting through the garbage searching for food.
One letter said "the pictures brought home the message in a way that really touched my heart...picture worth a thousand words..."
The next letter said "...but I was very disturbed by the pictures you used to illustrate your article...if poor people know that someone out there is taking pictures of them trying to find food in dumpsters, they will no longer do so fearing that one day they will appear in.."
As they say - you cannot please all the people all of the time...
On the subject of money and helping people, ahem, I'd like to ask you if you can please put up a post, asking your readers to vote for Friendship Circle in the Chase Community Giving on Facebook. Chase is gonna give a million bucks to one charity and the only Jewish organization on their top 100 list is Friendship Circle (an organization that helps special needs kids).
ReplyDeleteYou just gotta go to http://tinyurl.com/votefc
it's super fast, super easy and super helpful.
thaaaaaaaaaanks!
The bottom line, like the picture or not, is that poverty is an issue that must be addressed.
ReplyDeleteHalacha seems to clearly dictate that helping the poor is a priority and the poor of your city an even bigger one.
In these difficult times when more people than ever need help there seems to be no lack of new orgazniations that do everything but help the poor.
While kiruv, youth programs, food for new moms, etc are all good causes please remember that the local tzedaka organizations (ie Lema'an Achai and the 2 Kupa shel tzedaka) are doing vital work.
If our tzedaka dollars go to good (albeit non essential) programs there will be that much less to go around for the poor and needy.
Perhaps these other organizations should be put on a temporary "back burner" so that we can tend to the families that don't have jobs or even bread to put on the table.
ANIYEI, did you just call kiruv non-essential? Go tell a parent whose kid is off the derech that they'll just have to wait until there are no more poor people in the city.
ReplyDeletewow, cool article. As newbie in this place, hope I could participate your discussion here.
ReplyDelete