If you think about a closet shop in a local mall, you can begin to envision the loving work of one member of Congregation Shaarey Tikvah of Cleveland, Ohio, who setup a Tzedakah Center in the synagogue lobby. The Center looks like a self- contained closet on wheels. It includes space to hang coats donated for homeless people, drawers for discarded eyeglasses, slots for checks and other donations, roll-out bins for toiletries and drawers for donations to the local food pantry. The mobile nature of the Center enables it to be stored on Shabbat and on other appropriate occasions. The highly visible location of the Center sends an important message to all members of the congregation, including the children, as to the value that Judaism places on tzedakah.
Families choose among a variety of service-oriented programs in the community.
Many young people have helped at a shelter for homeless people and at the Family Support Center. Several years ago, the congregation provided seed money to begin the program. The young people have raised funds through a variety of projects. They meet quarterly to determine allocations to appropriate agencies. All articles in this newsletter may be reproduced for use in congregational bulletins.