Tzedakah Fund's 25th Anniversary Celebration

Friday, June 8 at 8:00 p.m.

Every week, children of Beth Emet The Free Synagogue members deposit coins and bills into aluminum cans as part of a Jewish practice of righteous giving called tzedakah (pronounced ts-dok-ah). Their parents, grandparents and friends contribute, too, and proving that loose change can really add up, the congregation has distributed more than $100,000 in the past 25 years.

On Friday Shabbat services on June 8, the synagogue will celebrate a quarter century of giving of its vital tzedakah fund.

“We have been taught to think globally and act locally,” says Mareon Arnold, who chairs the committee, “and these tzedakah dollars have provided assistance to Jewish and non-Jewish individuals, organizations, causes and projects promoting justice, equality and social wellbeing for so many local and national agencies.”

Two hundred and thirty-one grants have been distributed to 88 organizations, many of them in Evanston. Support went to Family Matters and Evanston History Center for interracial understanding dialogues and programs for personal growth and leadership.  Family Focus reaped the benefits for a program offering book discussions and poetry workshops after school. Other grants have gone to Grace House in Marquette Park that helps women transition from the prison system and Canine Therapy Corps for animal support services, as well as holiday food for Jewish community members and Japan disaster relief. The grant that helped the fund reach the  $100,000 mark was to Tri-Con Child Care Center in Highland Park. The center provides hardbound books for children to promote literacy and language development. 

Grant recipients, past and present, as well as former and current committee members are invited to attend services that evening. “It’s our chance to say thank you for the great honor to serve the community, “Arnold says “We’re so thankful that our tzedakah has been able to do so many wonderful things.”