TZEDAKAH & TIKKUN OLAM
Introduction
Tzedakah is defined as money donated to others because that is the right thing to do. Often mistranslated as "charity," tzedakah, in its Hebrew origin, is actually more related to "justice -- tzedek." Many homes and synagogues have a tzedakah box, or "pushke" in Yiddish, in which change can be given to tzedakah. Tikkun Olam is a Hebrew phrase that means repairing, or mending the world.
The ideas of Tzedakah and Tikkun Olam are central pillars of Jewish tradition, and have many interpretations that are relevant to modern life. Jewish ideas that are concerned with taking action to make the world a better place can take many forms There are many ways of giving to those less fortunate, and the financial way is what we call tzedakah. Participating in a community clean up, or food drive, or humanitarian relief project are just a few examples of Tikkun Olam in action.
Click here to read more about the Jewish philosophy behind Tikkun Olam
Opportunities @ Reviving Eden
Kolel always welcomes volunteers! We have volunteer opportunities for those interested in helping out with events, around the office, and many other areas. Contact us for more information.
Local Links
The sites listed below are good examples of how we can put Tikkun Olam into action.
Idealist: This site has a comprehensive list of non-profit and humanitarian websites.
Daily Bread Food Bank With over 30 employees and hundreds of volunteers, the Daily Bread Food Bank is a busy warehouse with responsibility for getting food to thousands of families across the GTA each week. The Daily Bread Food Bank offers volunteer opportunities that make a significant difference to the lives of low-income people across the GTA.
Jewish Family and Child Services. For more than 125 years, the emotional, social and physical needs of Toronto's Jewish community have been served by Jewish Family and Child Service. A non-profit agency, JF&CS is comprised of 100 committed staff, including social workers, child care workers, family life educators, therapists, counsellors, foster parents, and 900 devoted volunteers
Ve'ahavta is a non-profit organization established in 1996 and registered in Canada and the United States. Its goal is to play a role in tikkun olam - repairing the world - through partnerships with the Canadian Jewish community, and with non-Jewish and international organizations worldwide. Ve'ahavta hopes to accomplish this through Jewish Peace Corps and an educational arm, responding to global crises through international and local humanitarian and relief programs. Reviving Eden and Ve'ahavta have several joint programmes throughout the year, with many ways to get involved in the local community.