TZEDAKAH BOXES: A RIGHTEOUS HISTORY
From the Private Collection of Peachy and Mark Levy
The tradition of giving tzedakah and the tzedakah box are a basic part of Jewish living. Often translated today as "charity", the word "tzedakah"(pronounced tze-DA-ka) comes from a Hebrew root word, "tzedek," which means "righteous" and is considered to be a guidepost for Jewish ethical living. In the Bible, the word tzedakah refers to "justice, kindness and ethical behavior" and is considered to be one of the most important acts of Judaism. In fact, during the High Holiday prayers, Jews ask God to forgive their sins. "Teshuvah (repentance), tefilah (prayer) and tzedakah" can effect God's decision.
The origin of tzedakah boxes can be traced back thousands of years ago to the Bible, which relates how the Temple in Jerusalem collected donations so as to repair the structure of the Temple. These donations were placed in a chest whose top had a hole cut into it.
According to tradition, people in need have a right to food, clothing and shelter and this right should be secured by others more fortunate. Thus, money collected in tzedakah boxes was disbursed in the local Jewish community to assist with various needs, from endowing poor brides to helping the sick and burying the deceased. To this day the tzedakah box provides a means for Jews to perform this important act of Judaism and to make donations anonymous, thereby maintaining the dignity of the person or organization receiving the gift. By having tzedakah boxes in our homes, businesses and places of worship, we are reminded to be compassionate, and interact with and help not only our fellow Jews, but our communities and the world at large. Given the fragile world we live in today, it is timely to have an exhibit that reinforces our need to keep tzedakah in the forefront of our lives.
Mark and Peachy Levy have an extensive collection of Judaica in their California home that reflects many times and places that Jewish communities have lived. Through these objects, the Levys feel a connection to the people who used them in their homes and to the synagogues where Jewish life once thrived. According to the Levys, "Every box tells a story starting with the "Blue Box", the Jewish National Fund (JNF) and going on to schools, orphanages, hospitals, yeshivot---each with a need and message of their importance in Jewish life." For the Levys, these tzedakah boxes serve as a memory of growing up "with one or more of these boxes in our homes with the understanding that we were required to help all of those in need. It was an important mitzvah to fill the box with coins, return it to the institution and start a new one."
The Levys started collecting in the 1980's. The oval red box is from Vienna, 1920. The ambulance box is from Brooklyn and the olive wood box comes from Israel (Palestine) probably before it became a state. In addition to those on display, they have at least 50 more organizational boxes, including JNF from the 1920's and old brass pushkes from synagogues (3 from a 19th century Vienna synagogue) and from several chevrei kadisha. Most of their tzedakah boxes were acquired from dealers and book stores in Jerusalem, but Mr. Levy has been known to buy some of them right off the counters of delis and butcher shops.
Inspired by the concept of tzedakah, the children from The Susan and Rabbi Harold Loss Early Childhood Center created tzedakah boxes from clay and found objects. We thank the children for their personal interpretations.
Online resources:
www.nytimes.com/2007/09/16/nyregion/nyregionspecial2/16artswe.html
Selected Exhibit Cases
Selected Exhibit Items 
