kupat hair, the largest tzedakah

THE TZEDAKAH FUND OF THE

GEDOLEIHADOR

1--866--221--9352

THE SECRETS BEHIND THE LARGEST TZEDAKAH FUND IN

THE WORLD

Maran Hagaon Harav Shmuel Halevi Wosner13 Halperin Street Bnei Brak

…Maran Hagaon Harav

Aharon Leib Steinman5 Chazon Ish Street Bnei Brak


Michel Yehudah Lefkowitz4 Wilkomirrer Street Bnei Brak


Nissim Karelitz6 R' Meir Street Bnei Brak


Chaim Kanievsky23 Rashbam Street Bnei Brak

Maran Hagaon Harav

Members of Members of the Board:the Board:

nk

tzrak

v

k

av

rak

Testimony from Maran

Hagaon Harav Shmuel HaleviWosner, shlit"a

Testimony from Maran

Hagaon Harav Chaim Kanievsky,

shlit"a

THE TZEDAKAH OF THE GEDOLEI HADOR IN ERETZ YISROEL

The Gedolei Hador

contributing to Kupat

Ha'ir

The Belzer Rebbe, shlit"aThe Nadvorner Rebbe, shlit"a Maran Hagaon Harav MichelYehudah Lefkowitz, shlit"a

The Lelover Rebbe, shlit"a Maran Hagaon Harav ChaimKanievsky, shlit"a

Maran Hagaon Harav ShmuelHalevi Wosner, shlit"a

Maran Hagaon Harav AharonLeib Steinman, shlit"a

As they do,so should

you…


THE GEDOLEI HADOR PLACTRUST IN KUPAT HA

THEY HAVE MANY GOOD RTO DO SO. ONE OF THEM

Thhhee Rabbbbbiiniicaal MMeeeetinggg

Every step is in accordance with da'as Torah!

At Kupat Ha'ir, every step is taken in accordance with the decision of the rabbinical committee. Every step is in accordance with da'as Torah. Every question is forwarded to the Gedolei Hador, shlit"a.

Every shekel spent by Kupat Ha'ir is

approved with the signatures of the

members of the rabbinical committee

and backed by the signatures of the

Gedolei Hador, shlit"a, at the end of

every fiscal year.

The rabbinical committee is comprised

of six rabbanim, representing all

sectors of the Jewish community:

Lithuanian, Chassidic, Ashkenazi and

Sephardic. Each of these rabbanim

is well known and active in his

community and they are personally


ACE THEIR A'IR.REASONS

HEM IS…

Trustworthiness

familiar with the majority of the families receiving assistance. This factor lends much credibility to Kupat Ha'ir in the eyes of both the public at large and the Gedolei Hador.

The rabbinical committee meets approximately once every month. Recently, Kupat Ha'ir has merited that one of the Gedolei Hador, shlit"a, joined in each rabbinical meeting to answer questions that arise in the course of the meetings as well as to lend a special aura of holiness to the occasion.

Onnn AA VVooolluuntttarry Baassiis

One of Kupat Ha'ir's guiding principles since the day of its establishment is that all of its directors and gabba'im work purely l'shem Shamayim, on a strictly voluntary basis.

Beyond the fact that this spares Kupat Ha'ir the need to pay their salaries (in an operation as huge as Kupat Ha'ir, these salaries would undoubtedly come to a very large sum of money), the fact that everything is done l'shem Shamayim sanctifies and purifies the activities

carried out. It ensures that all considerations remain completely free of any personal bias. Aside from the mutual desire to expand Kupat Ha'ir in order to provide a response to the incredible need, no one gains any personal benefit from one decision or another.

The gabba'im and the directors take care not to derive any benefit whatsoever, not even of the minutest kind. The Gedolei Hador have often expressed their complete satisfaction with this basic principle, observed at Kupat Ha'ir with great scrupulousness.


THE GEDOLEI HADOR PLACTRUST IN KUPAT HA

THEY HAVE MANY GOOD RTO DO SO. ONE OF THEM

AAbbssooluutttte IInntteegrittyKupat Ha'ir functions with absolute integrity according to both da'as Torah and governmental law!

Kupat Ha'ir is run in accordance with halachah, which is the most honest way on earth of running an enterprise. We treat every cent as we do a hundred dollars. We know that people give us their tzedakah money trusting that we will use it for the

best causes possible. These

halachic parameters guide Kupat Ha'ir's every step and ensure that slip-ups of any type are prevented.

In addition, in order to receive legal status as an organization and to be able to provide contributors with tax-deductible receipts, we must present our bookkeeping ledgers to the authorities. The reactions we hear from representatives of the law upon seeing the manner in which Kupat Ha'ir is run is gratifying every time anew. They are astonished by


ACE THEIR A'IR.REASONS

HEM IS…

Trustworthiness

the absolute integrity, amazed that every shekel of the millions of shekels that pass though Kupat Ha'ir reaches its intended destination. The books are meticulously kept, with not a single fault.

The bookkeeping department is headed by Rabbi Y. Wirzhivinsky, one of the top accountants in the country. He sees to it that every one of Kupat Ha'ir's actions is perfectly transparent and easily verified. This testifies to Kupat Ha'ir's absolute integrity.

It Happened In 5766:

Kupat Ha'ir received notice from the tax authorities that they would be coming to audit their files. At Kupat Ha'ir, everything is out in the open, except for the names of the needy, which are strictly confidential. It's easy to see that everything runs like a Swiss watch. There was therefore no reason to be concerned. Still, everyone braced for a long, complex procedure and a sea of questions.

They arrived. They checked detail after detail, pulling out folders, comparing documents, cross-

checking information. Everything

was perfect. Only one thing didn't

seem to fit: the salaries. The amount

paid in salaries was astonishingly

low. How could it be that so much

work was done without costing the

organization a penny?

When they saw for themselves

that the directors and gabba'im do

not receive salaries at all, and that

countless hours of volunteer work

are put in by various people, they

were astonished. "Such a thing can

only exist among people like you,"

they said. And the Kiddush Hashem

was tremendous.

It In 57


Rav S, responsible for distributing support to needy families, relates:

I sensed that something about the N family wasn't sufficiently clear to me. I had just received my third hint that their financial situation was unbear-able, but all my verifications led to the conclusion that the situation was defi-nitely under control. The N's weren't rich, to be sure, but the family seemed to be living under reasonable, though frugal, conditions. There was food on the table; the children were decently

dressed; payments were being made on time.

Still, I had an inkling that not every-thing was as it appeared. My years of experience at Kupat Ha'ir have taught me not to ignore my intuition.

After investing much thought in the matter, I decided to try to enter the family's home during the Friday night seudah. I came up with a suitable cover story and my plan went smoothly. A quick glance at the table was all I need-ed: on the table was half a challah (for

The VerificationsTHE GEDOLEI HADOR PLACE THEIR TRUST IN KUPAT HA'IR.THEY HAVE MANY GOOD REASONS TO DO SO.

ONE OF THEM IS…

Creative MethodsAt Kupat Ha'ir, we're very careful

to make sure that all contributions go to families who are truly needy.

Unfortunately, we cannot trust everyone who asks for assistance. We must employ various methods to achieve absolute certainty regarding each family's situation.

On the other hand, such verifications are liable to cause great aggravation to people who would like to keep their bleak

financial situation secret.

In order to walk this thin line without taking a false step in either direction, Kupat Ha'ir has developed a series of original courses of action. Our "verification committee" employs these methods with discretion and intelligence.

Most of these methods are understandably confidential.


THE GEDOLEI HADOR PLACE THEIR TRUST IN KUPAT HA'IR.THEY HAVE MANY GOOD REASONS TO DO SO. ONE OF THEM IS…

Avoiding Humiliation – At Any Price!

"It is preferable for a person to hurl himself into a fiery oven than to shame his fellow Jew in public." This saying of Chazal is one of the basic principles of Kupat Ha'ir. Protecting the families' privacy is a top priority which Kupat Ha'ir refuses to compromise.

Sometimes, however, it is necessary to help a family even if the family refuses to accept assistance. Even if

the parents prefer to subsist on dry bread and water rather than to accept tzedakah, the children need not suffer.

In today's generation, children living under very stressful economic conditions are liable, G-d forbid, to take to the streets. The danger is both physical and spiritual.

In such cases, Kupat Ha'ir helps in a way that the family doesn't dream it is receiving their assistance. It's happened dozens of times that we've received a letter from a family who finally gave in to the steadily increasing difficulty of staying afloat and requested assistance from us. In the letter, they write that they have never received assistance before, while our computers show that they've actually been receiving assistance for quite some time.

The gabba'im come up with many varied ways to help families without them realizing it.

Here, too, we cannot provide any details.

ts

n dry d water an toedakah,en need

r.

n,vingg

Discretion

8 people!), four contain-ers of leben and a con-tainer of cheese.

Helping a family that had guarded its secret so zealously was no easy feat; it required lots of resourcefulness on our part. Read about it on the following page.


YOUR OPEN DOOR TO THE

GEDOLEI HADOR

Wherever you may be, the quickest way to receive an audience with the Gedolei Hador is by contributing to Kupat Ha'ir!

The Gedolei Hador shlit"a, see Kupat Ha'ir as an organization that is crucial to our nation's existence. The manner in which they help Kupat Ha'ir expand is mainly through their tefillos. They are prepared to devote their precious time, their efforts and prayers to those who contribute to Kupat Ha'ir, and they do so with deep love and appreciation.

At all hours of day or night the staff are available to accept contributors' urgent requests for brochos. At the first opportunity the request is rushed to the Gedolei Hador

who immerse themselves in tefilla for the names submitted.

Throughout the day, there are a few official times during which Kupat Ha'ir's daily list of contributors is brought before the Rabbanim. Sometimes, the daily list merits to be lifted heavenward at a holy site such as the Kosel or at kivrei tzaddikim.


A passerby who happened to stop by at Kupat Ha'ir relates:

I went up to Kupat Ha'ir to take care of something with regard to my standing order. A few moments after I arrived, a torrent of phone calls began pouring in. The first secretary listened to the message with a look of alarm on her face. "… to daven for Plonis bas Plonis who just drowned at the beach," she repeated, her lips white. Everyone looked at her in panic.

The secretary rose, wrote the name on a sheet of paper in large letters and went to fax it in for a bracha from Harav Chaim Kanievsky, shlit"a. The other secretaries began reciting chapters of Tehillim with great kavanah. Within minutes, dozens of phone calls began pouring in from women who were at the beach when the accident occurred as well as from family members of the girl who had drowned. I heard the secretaries explain, over and over again, "We've already sent her name in to be davened for." Harav Kanievsky was already davening for the child ".

I thought to myself that such a zechus is possible only at Kupat Ha'ir. Who else would be able to submit a name for tefillah, with such speed?


It is possible to break out of poverty!

At Kupat Ha'ir, we know that many families who receive assistance can break out of poverty and even switch to the side of the contributors. Many times, the trouble begins as a result of a temporary pressure, a child's illness, a job layoff or a tragedy such as a fire. Once the deterioration begins, the families involved can't seem to stop the snowballing situation by themselves.Kupat Ha'ir invests much thought into how to best help these families. We recruit professionals, the top in their field, to create a detailed financial rehabilitation plan that will extract the family from their debts. Many families have already gone through this procedure and many more are still waiting.

The rehabilitation process is dependent upon many factors, but the most important one is Kupat Ha'ir's financial ability. Such cases are a huge financial burden for us. True, the investment is worth it in the end, because the money comes

THE GEDOLEI HADOR PLACETHEIR TRUST IN KUPAT HATHEY HAVE MANY GOOD RETO DO SO. ONE OF THEM

Kupat Ha'ir's "Rehabilitation Man" Relates:

The P family's file was quite thick. I spent a few weeks study-ing all the details and what I learned was very sad. The father had lost his livelihood with the fall of his warehouse, due to the massive fire burn-ing down the buildings where much of his merchandise had been stored. He lacked the cash to purchase new raw materi-als. By the time I received his file, Mr. P was rushing from one gemach to another in an effort to return previous debts. Since

sti


CE HA'IR. REASONS M IS…

The Rehabilitation

he wasn't working, his debt kept growing. The poor fellow was losing his sanity from tension and pressure. The children began showing signs of psychological distress and his wife fell into a depression as a result of the situation.The first thing we did was eliminate all his debts. Kupat Ha'ir got in touch with his creditors and agreed upon convenient terms of payment. The creditors, too, were pleased that a strong body such as Kupat Ha'ir was undertaking to pay them what was owed to them. Some of them gener-ously offered to waive a portion of the debt when they heard about the man's difficult situation.Next, we purchased raw materials

a n d Mr. P began to work again. He began to breathe freely. He worked hours upon hours every day, determined to do everything in his power to build himself up again. At least he was earning a livelihood now, which ensured that no new debt was incurred. He did so well that he was able to begin returning the money we had laid out for him almost immediately. Within three or four years, he was debt-free! For the next few months, he continued con-tributing the same sum he had been paying us to repay his debt as a sign of his gratitude to us for helping him back on his feet.

back, but not always do we have the necessary reserves.When you contribute to Kupat Ha'ir, you earn this awesome zechus as well. Don't forget that the mitzvah of helping a

needy person become self-s u f fi c i e n t again is greater

than that of providing him with his needs.

CE HA'IR. REASONS M IS…

The Rehabilitation

he wasn't working, his debt kept growing. The poor fellow was losing his sanity from tension and pressure. The children began showing signs of psychological distress and his wife fell into a depression as a result of the situation.The first thing we did was eliminate all his debts. Kupat Ha'ir got in touch with his creditors and agreed upon convenient terms of payment. The creditors, too, were pleased that a strong body such as Kupat Ha'ir was undertaking to pay them what was owed to them. Some of them gener-ously offered to waive a portion of the debt when they heard about the man's difficult situation.Next, we purchased raw materials

a n d Mr. P began to work again. He began to breathe freely. He worked hours upon hours every day, determined to do everything in his power to build himself up again. At least he was earning a livelihood now, which ensured that no new debt was incurred. He did so well that he was able to begin returning the money we had laid out for him almost immediately. Within three or four years, he was debt-free! For the next few months, he continued con-tributing the same sum he had been paying us to repay his debt as a sign of his gratitude to us for helping him back on his feet.

it in the end, because the money comes back, but not always do we have the necessary reserves.When you contribute to Kupat Ha'ir, you earn this awesome zechus as well. Don't forget that

the mitzvah of helping a needy person

become self-sufficient again is greater than that of providing him with his needs.

THE GEDOLEI HADOTRUST IN KUPAT HMANY GOOD REAS

ONE OF

The yeshuos are the best proof that Kupat Ha'ir's activities are desirable in the eyes of Hashem!

Will whoever has not heard of Kupat Ha'ir's yeshuos please rise!It seems there is no one who hasn't heard, hasn't tried, hasn't seen for himself that a contribution to Kupat Ha'ir opens the gates of Heaven wide and leads to the occurrence of events beyond the laws of nature.

The Gedolei Hador have put it very succinctly: "Kupat Ha'ir needs money for the needy, so Hakadosh Baruch Hu helps it!"

And the assistance of Hakadosh Baruch Hu to Kupat Ha'ir helps so many families along the way, families that needed a yeshuah, be it a small and simple everyday request or something truly critical. People contribute to Kupat Ha'ir and witness yeshuos, because Kupat Ha'ir needs money, so Hashem helps."

People joke that it isn't clear whom Kupat Ha'ir helps more: the needy or the

“All who contribute to Kupat Ha’ir merit to see open miracles”

From the words of Maran Harav Chaim Kanievsky shlita:

DOR PLACE THEIR HA'IR. THEY HAVE

ASONS TO DO SO. F THEM IS…

contributors!

Due to the great interest this issue arouses among the public, the Gedolei Hador have discussed it at length. It's not that Kupat Ha'ir "got lucky" a few times. It's a phenomenon that repeats itself constantly, and there is no natural explanation!

Aside from the awesome merit of tzedakah, and all the good that happens as a result of this

tzedakah,

contributors merit yeshuos in many different areas.

Contribute and merit a yeshuah. It's so simple – and so special.

From a Sampling of Letters to Kupat Ha'ir:

� We thank you for providing us with the merit of contributing! It has become a family custom to contribute to Kupat Ha'ir every time someone is pressured about something. In today's trying times, it is very soothing to know that we can merit Heavenly Mercy by contributing to Kupat Ha'ir!� It took me a long time to try it, but ever since we did, we haven't stopped. It works! It works with issues both big and small. We think that more than anything else, this shows how beloved Kupat Ha'ir is to Hashem.

� My young son asked: "Ima, why don't you contribute to Kupat Ha'ir?" I stopped crying and looked at him in shock. I had forgotten! I immediately contributed. Two minutes later came the wonderful phone call…� We are loyal readers of the yeshuos column in your brochures. It's amazing to know that in today's poor and orphaned generation, such hashgochoh protis still exists!� Even a cynic like I myself had to give in upon seeing that the Gedolei Hador themselves "use" Kupat Ha'ir when they encounter difficulty (lost keys, a lost kittel). If it's good for them, who am I to say differently?

akah,

ributors it yeshuosany rent s.

tribute

it a

The Yeshuos


1-866-221-9352For all information 1-800-233-2188 Our office in Israel: 972-3-671-6994

Please make checks payable to: American Friends of Kupat Ha'ir

How do I donate to

Kupat Hair?

Fax: 1-888-633-2188 Email: [email protected]

1

2Send your donation to: Kupat Hair 4415 14th Avenue Brooklyn, NY 112193

24 hours hotline

Call the 24 Hour Tzeddakah Hotline (donation by credit card) at 1-866-221-9352

Send your donation to the Rabbonim in your area.4Rabbi Aron Schechter Shlita

1248 East 12th Street

Brooklyn, New York 11230

Rabbi Malkiel Kotler Shlita

521 5th Street

Lakewood, New Jersey 08701

Rabbi Chaim Leib Epstein Shlita

1608 46th Street


Rabbi Dovid Goldwasser Shlita

1336 East 21st Street

Brooklyn, New York York 11210

Rabbi Moshe Wolfson Shlita

1574 43rd Street


Rabbi Aryeh Z. Ginzberg Shlita

568 Kensington Place

Cedarhurst, N.Y. 11516

Rabbi Chaim Schabes Shlita

7 Barrie Drive

Spring Valley NY 10977

Rabbi Don Blumberg Shlita

4 Yale Drive

Monsey, NewYork 10952

Rabbi Ephraim E. Shapiro Shlita

971 NE 172nd Street

North Miami Beach FL. 33162

kupat hair, the largest tzedakah

Documents