Kolel Chibas Jerusalem , also known as the Charity of Rabbi Meyer Ba'al Ha-Nes — named after the great 2nd century Jewish sage Rabbi Meyer — is a large charitable organization based in Jerusalem's Meah Shearim neighbourhood.

History

Founding

The organization was established in 1830 by Jews from Galicia, Austrian Empire

Austrian Empire

The Austrian Empire was a modern era successor empire, which was centered on what is today's Austria and which officially lasted from 1804 to 1867. It was followed by the Empire of Austria-Hungary, whose proclamation was a diplomatic move that elevated Hungary's status within the Austrian Empire...

, to support full-time Torah students of the Yishuv haYashan.

From the outset, the organization received wide support in the Galician Jewish community, with the rabbis of Sanz, Ropshitz

Ropshitz

Ropshitz may refer to*the town Ropczyce in southern Poland*chasidic dynasty Ropshitz emanating from that town...

, Dinov, and Belz

Belz

Belz , a small city in the Lviv Oblast of Western Ukraine, near the border with Poland, is located between the Solokiya river and the Rzeczyca stream....

 actively 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 representative gabbai

Gabbai

A Gabbai is a person who assists in the running of a synagogue and ensures that the needs are met, for example the Jewish prayer services run smoothly, or an assistant to a rabbi...

 would make the rounds from house to house to collect the money and make a list of the donors in Hebrew

Hebrew language

Hebrew is a Semitic language of the Afroasiatic language family. Culturally, is it considered by Jews and other religious groups as the language of the Jewish people, though other Jewish languages had originated among diaspora Jews, and the Hebrew language is also used by non-Jewish groups, such...

. The money and lists were sent to Eretz Israel where receipts were issued. Once a year, at the start of the Jewish New Year Rosh Hashanah

Rosh Hashanah

Rosh Hashanah , , is the Jewish New Year. It is the first of the High Holy Days or Yamim Nora'im which occur in the autumn...

, the kolel in Jerusalem would send the receipts to the gabbai of each city and Shtetl

Shtetl

A shtetl was typically a small town with a large Jewish population in Central and Eastern Europe until The Holocaust. Shtetls were mainly found in the areas which constituted the 19th century Pale of Settlement in the Russian Empire, the Congress Kingdom of Poland, Galicia and Romania...

 with small calendars called a luach. These calendars had the Hebrew dates

Hebrew calendar

The Hebrew calendar , or Jewish calendar, is a lunisolar calendar used today predominantly for Jewish religious observances. It determines the dates for Jewish holidays and the appropriate public reading of Torah portions, yahrzeits , and daily Psalm reading, among many ceremonial uses...

 and the secular date, the holidays and the exact time when the Shabbos and 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 of Europe

Europe

Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...

 and to America

United States

The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...

.

Offices were opened in Berlin

Berlin

Berlin is the capital city of Germany and is one of the 16 states of Germany. With a population of 3.45 million people, Berlin is Germany's largest city. It is the second most populous city proper and the seventh most populous urban area in the European Union...

, England

England

England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...

, Belgium

Belgium

Belgium , officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a federal state in Western Europe. It is a founding member of the European Union and hosts the EU's headquarters, and those of several other major international organisations such as NATO.Belgium is also a member of, or affiliated to, many...

, and in New York City

New York City

New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...

. 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 a segulah for salvation, healing, success and pride from their children.

During WWII

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

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

Today, Kolel Chibas Jerusalem assists in numerous different projects in Israel.

The largest project of the Kolel's over four million dollar budget is the Chalukah, the distribution of quarterly stipend

Stipend

A stipend is a form of salary, such as for an internship or apprenticeship. It is often distinct from a wage or a salary because it does not necessarily represent payment for work performed, instead it represents a payment that enables somebody to be exempt partly or wholly from waged or salaried...

s to 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 the Chalukah list can still get special help before Pesach or Rosh Hashanah

Rosh Hashanah

Rosh Hashanah , , is the Jewish New Year. It is the first of the High Holy Days or Yamim Nora'im which occur in the autumn...

 to ease the burdens generated by the additional expenses of the Yomim Tovim.

The Kolel operates three dental

Dentistry

Dentistry is the branch of medicine that is involved in the study, diagnosis, prevention, and treatment of diseases, disorders and conditions of the oral cavity, maxillofacial area and the adjacent and associated structures and their impact on the human body. Dentistry is widely considered...

 clinic

Clinic

A clinic is a health care facility that is primarily devoted to the care of outpatients...

s which 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 subsidized clothing

Clothing

Clothing refers to any covering for the human body that is worn. The wearing of clothing is exclusively a human characteristic and is a feature of nearly all human societies...

 store 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

One of the main incomes of the kolel are the Kolel Chibas Jerusalem Reb Meyer Baal Haness pushka

Pushka

Pushka may refer to:* Pushka is Russian for cannon and is used to characterize the Russian Tsar Cannon*Kolel Chibas Yerushalayim, charity box* A taluka in the Barabanki district of Northern India, in the Awadh region of the State of Uttar Pradesh...

s (charity boxes). Thousands of pushkas are distributed to Jewish homes worldwide, where tzedakah

Tzedakah

Tzedakah or Ṣ'daqah in Classical Hebrew is a Hebrew word commonly translated as charity, though it is based on the Hebrew word meaning righteousness, fairness or justice...

 is given by Jews daily, before praying, or before doing any mitzvah

Mitzvah

The primary meaning of the Hebrew word refers to precepts and commandments as commanded by God...

, 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 the Shabbos candle

Candle

A candle is a solid block or cylinder of wax with an embedded wick, which is lit to provide light, and sometimes heat.Today, most candles are made from paraffin. Candles can also be made from beeswax, soy, other plant waxes, and tallow...

 lighting, which is an accustomed time to pray for important things such as good and healthy children, success, wealth

Wealth

Wealth is the abundance of valuable resources or material possessions. The word wealth is derived from the old English wela, which is from an Indo-European word stem...

, and health

Health

Health is the level of functional or metabolic efficiency of a living being. In humans, it is the general condition of a person's mind, body and spirit, usually meaning to be free from illness, injury or pain...

 etc.

The Kolel has pushkas distributed in thousands of shuls, and stores owned by Jews throughout the world.

Honoree Presidents

Since the establishment of the Kolel, many rabbis have served as Honoree Presidents. The first Honorary President was Rabbi Chaim Halberstam

Chaim Halberstam

Chaim Halberstam of Sanz , known as the Divrei Chaim after his magnum opus on halakha, was a famous Hasidic Rebbe and the founder of the Sanz Hasidic dynasty....

 of Sanz.

Today the Kolel has three Honorary Presidents in North America

North America

North America is a continent wholly within the Northern Hemisphere and almost wholly within the Western Hemisphere. It is also considered a northern subcontinent of the Americas...

:

• Grand Rabbi Zvi Spira of Bluzov
• Grand Rabbi Shmuel Dovid Halberstam
  Shmuel Dovid Halberstam
  Rabbi Shmuel Dovid Halberstam, , also known as the Sanz-Klausenberger Rebbe of Borough Park, is the younger son and one of the successors of Rabbi Yekusiel Yehudah Halberstam, the previous Klausenberger Rebbe...
  
   of Sanz Klausenburg
• Grand Rabbi Ben Zion Aryeh Leibish Halberstam of 48th street.

It also has an Honorary President in Europe: Grand Rabbi Leibish Leizer of Pshevorsk.

• The Kolel's website