Community Magazine June 2009

40 COMMUNITY MAGAZINE U nder normal circumstances, parents assume responsibil- ity for their children’s well being. They work long hours, struggle at difficult jobs, and do everything in their power to pay the bills and keep their children fed, clothed, and cared for. But when a parent dies, Gd forbid, everything changes. The newly-orphaned children endure not only the agony of grief and loss, but also a new challenge – poverty. In a moment, the financial backbone of the family is gone. Suddenly, there is no paycheck to count on. This is true even if the deceased parent was a homemaker or a kollel student, because the surviving parent is generally forced to stop working and concentrate fully on the family. Adding Insult to Injury The community’s traditional response to these tragedies has always been emer- gency sedaka (charity) appeals and/or the establishment of a keren yetomim (orphan’s fund) for each orphaned family. These efforts have proven somewhat success- ful – but at what cost? Grieving families have their pain displayed for all the world to see. Donors are pressed to contribute increasingly large sums, again and again. And the money raised is often quickly spent – thrusting the orphans back into poverty just a short time later. Clearly, there must be a solution – a permanent answer that can be offered to every newly-orphaned child in our community. A Brilliant Solution The Jewish maxim of “Kol Yisrael arei- vim ze la ze” teaches that “all Jews are responsible for one another.” It is also the name of an initiative which puts this ideal into practice through a simple yet ingenious arrangement. Under the direction of the well respected Vaad Harabbonim, Kol Yisrael Areivim brings Jews together into a limited collective of 16,500 members. When a member of the group dies, members contribute $6 per newly-orphaned child. The result? Nearly $100,000 for each child. Best of all, this is accomplished quickly, without public display or the need for a hastily arranged, time- consuming and expensive sedaka appeal. Instead, the widow/widower and orphans are provided for efficiently and with dignity. The Kol Yisrael Areivim project was carefully devised after exten- sive consultations with rabbis, lawyers, financial experts and elected officials. Members of the community sign up to join a Kol Yisrael Areivim group. Groups include 16,500 members. Members pay no monthly dues. Funds are col- lected only upon the death of a group member, and are considered sedaka, as they support widows and orphans. Rabbis have ruled that funds can be paid from maaser (the customary charity tithe). In the event of a member’s death, Kol Yisrael Areivim collects a one-time payment of $6 per member for each newly-orphaned single child in the family. For example, if the deceased has one surviving child, members pay $6. If the deceased has 6 surviving children, members pay $36. Members never pay more than $24 a month. Amounts exceeding $24 are rolled over to the following month. Thus, the maximum yearly payment is $288. $99,000 is raised per orphan and placed in a special fund, administered by financial planners. Planners work with the family to ensure that both immediate and long-term needs are met. Daily needs are paid from interest, leaving the principal for major expenses, such as marriage. The Kol Yisrael Areivim Plan: