Community Magazine September 2009

54 Community Magazine Recognizing a Dire Need This scenario has played out thousands of times and unfortu- nately, continues to this day. Tragically, many suffer as a result. As a community that has been truly blessed, it is sometimes difficult for us to believe that the kind of hardships, hunger and severe deprivation which are described to us in urgent appeals actually exist. But real poverty does indeed exist, both here and, especially, in Israel, and the current economic climate has raised the poverty rate to staggering proportions. Many of the individuals who collect charity within our community have no place to turn, having already exhausted all other options. Some find themselves deep in debt. They come here looking for the legendary kindness and compas- sion of the Syrian-Sephardic Community who can lend them a hand to lift them out of their sorrows. But after a few isolated (but famous) cases of charlatans and imposters posing as charity collec- tors, many of the otherwise generous donors they meet, react with jaded suspicion. For years, donors have been searching desperately for a way to bridge the gap between logic and emotion, to enable wholehearted giving without any nagging doubts, with only the genuine feelings of kindness and concern that lie within their hearts. Corrupting an Honorable System Fraudulent fund-raising does more than just deplete the already- strapped reservoirs of charitable funds. Phony collectors bring dishonesty into the honorable system of charity collecting, and even those philanthropists who have never been duped are wary of fakers based on stories they’ve heard. Regrettably, this tiny group of deceptive collectors cast a bad reputation on the whole establish- ment. The average meshulah (collector) may be treated as “guilty” until he proves his innocence, which he will rarely, if ever, get the opportunity to do. Though still relatively rare, the number of bogus collectors has unfortunately risen considerably over the last 10-15 years. Sadly, some of them are not even Jewish. A new organization, Charity Endorsements, aims to provide collectors with well deserved dignity while imparting donors with unprecedented confidence in their “investment”. M ichael is torn. In his office, listening to a horrific tale of sickness and debt, of hunger and deprivation, he wants so badly to help the man standing before him. But then, a faint voice in the back of his head whispers, “How naïve are you? This guy is taking you for a ride. No story that dramatic could be true.” Michael’s doubts and suspicion overwhelm him, prompting his hands to reach for spare change instead of his checkbook. The poor man leaves dejected and hopeless, off to yet another office where he again receives a pittance. At this rate, he will return home a truly broken man. His last hope has failed. If only there was a trusted local contact he could have called upon to vouch for his situation. Give Rachel Dayan Generously