Money for Honey ·
Tishrei 5787
Every year in the weeks before Rosh Hashanah, this campaign quietly raises the funds that let families in our community celebrate the chagim with dignity. Groceries. New clothes for children. A Yom Tov meal that feels like a Yom Tov meal. The quiet, essential things that make the difference between celebrating and pretending to.
When we opened this year's campaign, we estimated we'd be helping 27 families with a goal of $50,000. As we've verified each case family by family in the weeks since, the picture has come into sharper focus. We're helping 19 families this Tishrei, with a total need of $31,500 — a smaller campaign than we first projected.
That accounting matters. Every dollar in this fund is trusted to us to reach a specific family in a specific circumstance. When the actual number is smaller than the estimate, the goal should reflect the actual need — not the estimate.
The families we're helping include those whose breadwinners are between jobs, retirees on fixed incomes for whom Yom Tov is otherwise out of reach, families where medical costs have stretched things thin, and newer members of our community still finding their footing. These are the kinds of situations families don't talk about, even with their closest friends. The reason this fund exists is so that they don't have to — so help can arrive quietly, without anyone's dignity being part of the cost.
We've raised $15,000 so far. We're roughly halfway there, and $16,500 will close the campaign.
Any funds raised beyond the $31,500 goal will roll into the General Emergency Fund, which supports community members throughout the year in situations that can't wait for a campaign cycle — emergency car repairs, past-due rent or mortgage, unexpected medical bills, and the quiet crises that arrive month after month.
The mitzvah of tzedakah b'seter — quiet, dignified giving to people in your own community — doesn't require heroics. It requires showing up when the moment calls for it. Your participation, at whatever level feels right this year, is what carries this campaign the rest of the way.
You can maximize your impact by donating via Zelle (friendsofcog@gmail.com), ACH, or wire transfer to avoid credit card processing fees. If you know a family who could use help this Tishrei, please reach out to Yonatan at office@friendsofchabadga.com or 310.567.9910.
Ketivah v'chatimah tovah,The Va'ad TzedakahRabbi Ari Sollish · Mrs. Arlene Shapiro · Reb Zalman Bernstein · Rabbi Yonatan Hambourger