Charity's command

Editorial

Worried about mutual funds being down? Concerned about stocks on the slide? Complaining about the high cost of gasoline?

Let's count our blessings. Compared to our fellow Jews in Argentina, we live in paradise.

Hezbollah terrorists bombed the AIMA Jewish community center in 1994, effectively destroying Buenos Aires' Jewish organizational infrastructure.

Then a couple of years ago, government economic mismanagement undercut the Argentine economy. People who for years had lived middle-class and upper-middle-class lifestyles descended into poverty.

And we think we have tsoris.

Imagine if the American Jewish community suffered comparable losses. Who would we turn to?

Our Argentine Jewish brothers and sisters have few options. These include remaining in Argentina to eke out a life, moving to the United States or making aliyah.

Every option bears a price tag - paid for by the generosity of fellow Jews in other lands who are able and willing to give.

Jewish tradition teaches: "Charity is equal in importance to all the other commandments combined." We are blessed with the opportunity to give our charity to any of a number of organizations offering programs and services that improve the quality of life of the Argentine Jewish community and assist with their move to the United States or Israel.

Jewish Agency for Israel (www.jafi.org.il): We can donate directly to nearly 25 programs devoted to the Argentine Jewish community, including making aliyah.
American Jewish Joint Distribution Committee (www.jdc.org): A portion of the United Jewish Communities Annual Campaign fund goes to this organization. We can designate a portion of the increase of our local annual campaign pledge to the Israel Emergency Campaign that in turn helps fund programs for Argentine Jewish families.
Hebrew Immigrant Aid Society (www.hias.org/home.html): HIAS facilitates immigration to the United States and Israel. We can donate to a variety of HIAS gift plans.
Local synagogue initiatives: In "From riches to rags" Managing Editor Leisah Namm writes about the work of Beth El Congregation in collecting money for a camp for Argentine Jewish children. Other Valley synagogues can follow Beth El's lead to assist the Argentine Jewish community.

"A person should be more concerned with spiritual than with material matters, but another person's material welfare is his own spiritual concern," taught Rabbi Israel Salanter, the founder of the Musar movement.

It's time for us to recognize the Argentine Jewish community's material needs - food on their table, roofs over their heads, clothes on their backs, medical care - as one of our principal spiritual concerns.

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