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Shopping with mitzvot in mind

PEARL SALKIN

1. While Americans were kvetching about everything from the high price of gas to the pathetic pace of picking a new president late last year, Jews in Ethiopia were starving to death. And they still are.
   
   There are about 9,000 Jews in Gandar Province who need immediate assistance.
   
   A drought has devastated the land and left its victims in precarious condition. Families are waiting to make aliyah to Israel, but the process is slow. Many children are severely malnourished and might not survive long enough to realize their dream.
   
   NACOEJ, the North American Conference on Ethiopian Jewry, is doing whatever it can to save and improve Jewish lives. It has set up emergency food distribution centers to feed the hungry and established a work program for unemployed heads of households, the Embroidery Program.
   
   The colorful, hand-embroidered pillow, matzo and challah covers and tallit bags made by Jewish artisans in Addis Ababa are beautiful works of art. There are more than two dozen biblical and traditional designs from which to choose, and they can be framed for wall display. The one of Jonah and the whale would look great over Uncle Harry's sofa.
   
   Each embroidery takes almost a month to complete, and you can buy one for $100 ($70 is tax-deductible). For more information, visit the Web site, www.nacoej.org, e-mail NACOEJ@aol.com, call (212) 233-5200, or write to NACOEJ, 232 Nassau St., New York, NY 10038.
   
   
2. Who let the dogs out? Nobody knows for sure, but there are thousands of stray dogs and cats wandering about Israel. And there are abused working animals, like horses and donkeys, which need to be rescued from the cruel hands of their tormentors.
   
   CHAI, Concern for Helping Animals in Israel, is an organization that aims to educate people about the plight of Israel's fauna and tries to provide humane treatment for all creatures.
   
   Judaism teaches compassion for animals - it's in our Torah, our Talmud and our tradition. So why not stop by the CHAI online gift shop and make a purchase this Hanukkah? You'll be helping a worthy cause when you buy Uncle Harry and the other animal lovers in your life something really nice, like a handmade, dog-print vest for $45 (plus $3 shipping). Or choose one of the feline fancier favorites, like a tote bag with an abstract cat design for $35 (plus $3 shipping). You can get further information and/or place your order by visiting www.chaionline.org (click on the "Shop at CHAI" button) or by telephoning CHAI headquarters in Alexandria, VA, at (703) 658-9650.
   
   
3. What time is it? No, this isn't a hint to buy Uncle Harry a watch. It's a reminder that it's time to send a rabbi to Alaska.
   
   Congregation Or HaTzafon in Fairbanks is the northernmost shul in the U.S. Many of its 75 members are newcomers who made the move so they could teach at the University of Alaska. Others are adventurers, and some headed north to do scientific research. Whatever their reason for being there, they often brave minus 100-degree winter wind chills to make sure there's a Friday night and Shabbos morning minyan. They have a Torah, a building, a religious school and a concerned congregation that is yearning for a spiritual leader.
   
   This Hanukkah, you can help this hearty group get a rabbi. You can visit their Web site, www.mosquito net.com/~orhatzafon, click on the Judaica Store button and order one or more "Frozen Chosen" T-shirts for $18 each (plus $5 shipping by priority mail). For more information, call the shul at (907) 479-2165 or e-mail michelle_fointanderson@health.state.ak.us.
   
   Wearing this attractive shirt with an eye-catching, icicled Star of David design on the front would do wonders for Uncle Harry's social life. It's a surefire icebreaker and is bound to make Harry the hit of any informal singles event next spring and summer.
   
   
4. There's another group that needs your help, Congregation Kona Beth Shalom. The stout souls who make up the membership have to cope with the stress of living in Paradise.
   
   Okay, there are worse hardships than spending your days in idyllic Kona, Hawaii. But while the scenery and weather are outstanding, something is missing. Services are held in a hotel, and the congregants are working very hard to raise money to buy a house and make it their shul and Jewish community center.
   
   For $18 (plus $2 shipping), you can buy a copy of the congregation's "Shaloha Cookbook - Food for the Soul." All proceeds go to the building fund, and you can get more information about this fundraiser by visiting its Web page, www.aloha.net/~morty/ckbk.html. Or you can write to Karen Breier, president of the WaKoBes (congregation women's group), at 73-4548 Mahi St., Kailua-Kona, HI 96745.
   
   The Jewish-Hawaiian cookbook is full of funny sidebars and has more than a hundred flavorful recipes, some traditional, some exotic. And many are so easy to follow that even Uncle Harry will be able to make something savory for your next Passover seder.
   
   The four nonprofit groups mentioned here are just a small sample of the myriad of organizations that count on merchandise sales to augment fund raising for their worthwhile endeavors. For more gift ideas, check with your local shuls, day schools and Jewish charities. Many of them sell entertainment discount books, supermarket gift certificates, Hanukkah treat baskets, phone cards and other items that make great gifts.