Kolel Chibas Yerushalayim
כולל חיבת ירושלים | |
 Adoration of Jerusalem and love of Zion — do not forget forever:The logo and slogan of the charity | |
| Formation | 1830 |
|---|---|
| Founded at | Jerusalem, Ottoman Empire |
| Type | Charitable organization |
| Headquarters | Meah Shearim,Jerusalem |
Region |  Israel |
| Services | Financial support for families, dental clinics, subsidized clothing store |
Honorary Presidents |
|
Kolel Chibas Jerusalem(Hebrew:כולל חיבת ירושלים), one of the numerous charities known asCharity of Rabbi Meyer Ba'al Ha-Nes— named after the great 2nd century Jewish sageRabbi Meir— is akollel,a large charitable organization based inJerusalem'sMeah Shearimneighbourhood and which supports Jews who have emigrated to the Holy Land fromGalicia,a historical geographical region spanning southeastern Poland and western Ukraine, formerly part of the Austro-Hungarian empire.
History
[edit]
Founding
[edit]The organization was established in 1830 by Jews fromGalicia,Austrian Empire,to support full-time Torah students[citation needed]of theYishuv haYashan.
From the outset, the organization received wide support in the Galician Jewish community, with the rabbis ofSanz,Ropshitz,Dinov,andBelzactively involved in fundraising. Small charity boxes were distributed to many Jewish homes. Families would donate however much they could, even it were only a few coins. A few times a year a local representativegabbaiwould make the rounds from house to house to collect the money and make a list of the donors inHebrew.The money and lists were sent toEretz Israelwhere receipts were issued. Once a year, at the start of the Jewish New YearRosh Hashanah,the kolel in Jerusalem would send the receipts to the gabbai of each city andShtetlwith small calendars called aluach.These calendars had theHebrew datesand the secular date, the holidays and the exact time when theShabbosand holidays began and ended. Each gabbai would in turn distribute them in their own town. The position of gabbai for Reb Meir Baal Haness was a position that was highly respected and was passed on from father to son. Galician Jews relate that the collection was taken so seriously that many collectors would dress in their Shabbos clothing when performing work for the charity.
Due to the financial difficulties of Jews in Galicia, the charity expanded its collection network to other parts ofEuropeand toAmerica.
Offices were opened inBerlin,England,Belgium,and inNew York City.Most of the rabbis of Galica signed a letter to the Jewish community in the United States, asking for assistance with the charity. They declared that having a Kolel Chibas Jerusalem Reb Meyer Baal Haness charity box, in the house was asegulahfor salvation, healing, success and pride from their children.
During WWII
[edit]The Nazi invasion of Eastern Europe stopped all funding from those areas. The effect was enormous and many Jews in Israel, who depended upon the Kolel Chibas Jerusalem for support, were suddenly thrown into hunger and poverty.
Post war
[edit]Following World War Two, many European survivors recalled the work which their family members had performed for the Kolel and the high regard in which it had been held. Many were thus motivated to engage in work for the organization themselves and new Gabboyim and offices were established around the world.
Activities
[edit]Today, Kolel Chibas Jerusalem assists in numerous different projects in Israel.
The largest project of the Kolel's over seven million dollar budget is theChalukah,the distribution of quarterlystipendsto families that cannot make ends meet. Families are chosen carefully, their eligibility determined by a variety of factors such as family size and level of income.
Families that are not on theChalukahlist can still get special help beforePesachorRosh Hashanahto ease the burdens generated by the additional expenses of theYomim Tovim.
The Kolel operates threedentalclinicswhich are used by over 5,000 people annually for a full range of dental treatments. Clients pay a third of the cost of treatment and the Kolel, at a yearly cost of over$150,000, subsidizes the remaining two thirds.
Another very important and popular service is a subsidizedclothingstore which stocks men's, women's and children's clothing. Patrons of the store save a minimum of 40% on all of their purchases. This operation costs the Kolel over $150,000 a year.
Pushkas
[edit]One of the main incomes of the kolel are the Kolel Chibas Jerusalem Reb Meyer Baal Hanesspushkas(charity boxes). Thousands of pushkas are distributed to Jewish homes worldwide, wheretzedakahis given by Jews daily, before praying, or before doing anymitzvah,or in a time of need or distress. Many people observe the custom of giving charity to Kolel Chibas Jerusalem Reb Meyer Baal Haness before theShabboscandlelighting, which is an accustomed time to pray for important things such as good and healthy children,success,wealth,andhealthetc.
The Kolel has pushkas distributed in thousands ofshuls,and stores owned by Jews throughout the world.
In 2011, Kolel Chibas Jerusalem was rated 1/4[1]by Charity Navigator, entering the list of "10 Highly Paid CEOs at Low-Rated Charities".[2]
Honoree Presidents
[edit]
Since the establishment of the Kolel, many rabbis have served as Honoree Presidents. The first Honorary President was RabbiChaim HalberstamofSanz.
Today, Grand RabbiYissachar Dov RokeachofBelz,Jerusalem preside over the presidency in Israel. Grand Rabbi Zvi Spira ofBluzov- Brooklyn, NY; Grand RabbiShmuel Dovid HalberstamofSanz Klausenburg- Brooklyn, NY and Grand RabbiBen Zion Aryeh Leibish Halberstamof Bobov - Brooklyn NY preside over the presidency in the United States. In Europe, Grand RabbiLeibish LeizerofPshevorskis presiding over the Kolel.
See also
[edit]References
[edit]External links
[edit]External links
[edit]- 1830 establishments in the Austrian Empire
- 1830 establishments in Ottoman Syria
- Jewish charities based in Israel
- Jewish Galician (Eastern Europe) history
- Jews and Judaism in Jerusalem
- Jews and Judaism in Ottoman Palestine
- Polish-Jewish culture in Israel
- Jewish organizations established in 1830
- Ukrainian-Jewish culture in Israel
- Old Yishuv