Wednesday, March 07, 2012

As usual the various Tzedaka organizations are trying to do outdo each other

The Vaad Harabanim for Tzedaka in Israel is sponsoring a tefilla at the graves of Mordechai and Esther in Iran. The cause may be good, but this sounds a little crazy. Given what is going on in Iran these days does it really make sense to organize a tzedaka event to raise money in Iran? Is it really worth the risk to the people's lives who are going to daven there? Are they that desperate?


Kupat Hair Bnei Brak is going for quantity so sponsoring tefilos at 30 different graves around the world (they aren't going to Iran).

They have anoither ad as well, which is supposed to give you the impression that ע"פ דין you should give to them, even though the halacha is clear that עניי עירך קודמים.

This is without even starting with the local Kupot which need to compete (see this post by Rafi about what the local Kup in RBS is doing).

I think that just like R' Steinman said that Yeshiva boys getting drunk is not the way Hashem wants us to celebrate Purim, someone needs to get up and say that Hashem doesn't want glossy colored ads with crazy schemes to get people to give tzedaka.

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